Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Another Healing, Reflection on Mark 1:40-45
Jesus had healed a man in the synagogue and Simon's mother-in-law in their home. Relatively private places--but the word has spread. Crowds gather. The next morning while it was still dark, Jesus went off by himself to pray. His disciples went to get him.
.A leper approaches Jesus asking for help. The word has spread. Jesus tells him not to tell, but he does anyway.
Watch the pattern:
Off on a another tangent: Jesus told the healed man to go to a priest as Moses had commanded. The original intent was to make sure that a contagious person would no longer infect the others. So, the inspection was to help the formerly ill person to be able to rejoin the community, and it was to make sure that a still-ill person did not endanger the community. By the time Mark wrote his gospel, the temple was gone, and this Mosaic procedure could not be enforced. What replaced (replaces) it? How to we ensure that we welcome into our midst persons that we fear?
.A leper approaches Jesus asking for help. The word has spread. Jesus tells him not to tell, but he does anyway.
Watch the pattern:
Word spreads.
Jesus retreats to a private place.
People find him where he is.
Off on a another tangent: Jesus told the healed man to go to a priest as Moses had commanded. The original intent was to make sure that a contagious person would no longer infect the others. So, the inspection was to help the formerly ill person to be able to rejoin the community, and it was to make sure that a still-ill person did not endanger the community. By the time Mark wrote his gospel, the temple was gone, and this Mosaic procedure could not be enforced. What replaced (replaces) it? How to we ensure that we welcome into our midst persons that we fear?
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Still Healing, Reflection on Mark 1:29-34
Right after healing a man in the synagogue, Jesus and his disciples went to Simon and Andrew's house. As soon as he heard that Simon's mother-in-law was ill, he healed her, too.
I find interesting several things. One is we are given no indication that those needing healing asked Jesus to do so. Another is that we are not told that Simon's m-i-l had faith in Jesus' power to heal her. Also, interesting to me is her response. As soon as she is healed, she gets up and serves them a meal (my interpretation of "waited on them").
The word spreads. The whole town shows up including all who are ill or possessed.
Once again, Jesus won't let the demons speak because they know who he is.
Questions that linger: Do they have faith or knowledge in Jesus other than his ability to heal?
Application for our time:
The Global Health Initiative is a major area of focus for the ministry of The United Methodist Church,which aims to combat diseases of poverty such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis as well as provide health education, advocacy and infrastructure. We have long been a key player in the fight against malaria through the hospitals, clinics and missions centers we have operated across Africa for more than 160 years.
To read more about the history of Methodist efforts to promote healing and a current example of what the church is doing now see UMC: How We Serve Global Health
I find interesting several things. One is we are given no indication that those needing healing asked Jesus to do so. Another is that we are not told that Simon's m-i-l had faith in Jesus' power to heal her. Also, interesting to me is her response. As soon as she is healed, she gets up and serves them a meal (my interpretation of "waited on them").
The word spreads. The whole town shows up including all who are ill or possessed.
Once again, Jesus won't let the demons speak because they know who he is.
Questions that linger: Do they have faith or knowledge in Jesus other than his ability to heal?
Application for our time:
The Global Health Initiative is a major area of focus for the ministry of The United Methodist Church,which aims to combat diseases of poverty such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis as well as provide health education, advocacy and infrastructure. We have long been a key player in the fight against malaria through the hospitals, clinics and missions centers we have operated across Africa for more than 160 years.
To read more about the history of Methodist efforts to promote healing and a current example of what the church is doing now see UMC: How We Serve Global Health
Monday, December 28, 2015
Questions about the visitor, Reflection on Mark 1:21-28
I'm thinking about how differently we do worship than the way that Jesus would have been used to. Mark 1:21 says that he went to a synagogue and taught. Priests served at the temple. Teaching took place at the synagogues.
Are our churches more like the temple or more like synagogues? Is what today we call preaching what Mark meant by teaching? Or, was teaching then like what we mean by teaching now?
How come it was an unclean man who first recognized Jesus? BTW, how common was it for people with unclean spirits to attend the synagogue?
We are told that the people were amazed by his evidencing authority and by his ability to get unclean spirits to obey him. What amazes us today?
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Rachel Weeping for Her Children, Dream Act, a Reflection on Matthew 2:13-23
A repeat from an earlier date:
Long ago, parents carried their child to a foreign country hoping to protect his safety. When the imminent threat passed they were able to return home.
Today, many parents are still taking their children to places that seem safer for them than their birthplace.
In their new homes, the children grow up, go to school, volunteer for the military. And, in the U.S., some think that they should be given the opportunity to be citizens.
Dream Act
but
Dream Act fails
A more recent news story: What U. S. voters think about Syrian refugees
and an even more recent one: US plans raids to deport families with children.
"A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
Long ago, parents carried their child to a foreign country hoping to protect his safety. When the imminent threat passed they were able to return home.
Today, many parents are still taking their children to places that seem safer for them than their birthplace.
In their new homes, the children grow up, go to school, volunteer for the military. And, in the U.S., some think that they should be given the opportunity to be citizens.
Dream Act
but
Dream Act fails
A more recent news story: What U. S. voters think about Syrian refugees
and an even more recent one: US plans raids to deport families with children.
"A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
Friday, December 25, 2015
Journey of the Magi, Reflection on Matthew 2:1-12
Hear T. S. Eliot read his poem, Journey of the Magi about his own journey toward faith.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 2:11-12
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
A Checklist for the Church, a Reflection on Psalm 146
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
We are to praise God, the psalmist tells us, because God is trustworthy and eternal.
Then the psalmist reminds us that God gives care to the oppressed, the hungry, prisoners, the blind, the burdened, immigrants, those without financial resources.
And when you hear somebody say something derogatory about the Old Testament God, remember that this is the Old Testament God.
And this is what followers of God are called to do. God acts on earth through the people who are gathered to worship and to demonstrate God's power and love.
Psalm 146 provides a checklist for each church congregation:
What have we done to ensure that prisoners can be released?
What have we done to prevent blindness--have we opened a eye-clinic in a poor community, have we helped to distribute glasses to people who can't afford them?
What are we doing about immigrants?
What attention are we paying to people whose families are able to care for them, or to people without family?
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Messengers, Reflection on Luke 2:1-20
In that region,” this text for Christmas Eve begins. The region that Luke is referring to is the portion of the Roman Empire. Look back at verses 1-7. Augustus is emperor; Quirinius is governor. The emperor decrees that all persons be registered; that is, the emperor is going to make sure that he gets taxes from everybody under his control.
Then there are some folks who can’t issue decrees. The only things they control are somebody else’s sheep. And it is to this kind of person that the angels go with their news. Not the emperor, not the governor, but the shepherds.
Although they had a positive image in the Old Testament--think of the 23rd Psalm, for example--shepherds living and working at the time of Jesus’ birth were not viewed positively. Rather, they were regarded as lower class, untrustworthy, migrant workers who used other people’s grass to feed their sheep.
The shepherds were not expecting the news. They were at work, and to their society at the time, not very well-thought-of work. Yet, the Lord sent a messenger to them with the good news.
Their response was immediate. They went to Bethlehem immediately to see for themselves. And when they had seen, they told what they had seen.
Questions: Who is trusted by God to receive and carry messages? Try to imagine a modern-day counterpart to first century shepherds. Would you be interested in anything such people had to say to you? Is it hard for you to imagine God’s telling them something before letting you know?
Source: Mississippi Advocate
Then there are some folks who can’t issue decrees. The only things they control are somebody else’s sheep. And it is to this kind of person that the angels go with their news. Not the emperor, not the governor, but the shepherds.
Although they had a positive image in the Old Testament--think of the 23rd Psalm, for example--shepherds living and working at the time of Jesus’ birth were not viewed positively. Rather, they were regarded as lower class, untrustworthy, migrant workers who used other people’s grass to feed their sheep.
The shepherds were not expecting the news. They were at work, and to their society at the time, not very well-thought-of work. Yet, the Lord sent a messenger to them with the good news.
Their response was immediate. They went to Bethlehem immediately to see for themselves. And when they had seen, they told what they had seen.
Questions: Who is trusted by God to receive and carry messages? Try to imagine a modern-day counterpart to first century shepherds. Would you be interested in anything such people had to say to you? Is it hard for you to imagine God’s telling them something before letting you know?
Source: Mississippi Advocate
Monday, December 21, 2015
Assurances and Cautions, a Reflection on Luke 1:46-55
Mary responds to Elizabeth's good news and her own with a song of praise. Like Hannah before her (see 1 Samuel 2:1-10), Mary begins by praising God: "My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. From now on, all generations will call me blessed because of what God has done for me."
God chose Mary to bear the savior. Why didn't God pick a woman from one of the more powerful, prominent families? Why would God choose the backwater of the empire to be the birthplace of the savior, instead of, for example, Rome? For those of us who live in a powerful country, how willing are we to consider that God may continue to choose other venues for gifts?
Reread verses 51 through 53. Are your expectations and hopes consistent with the prospects of the lowly being lifted and the hungry filled? How about the powerful being pulled down from their high status and the rich being sent away empty-handed?
God chose Mary to bear the savior. Why didn't God pick a woman from one of the more powerful, prominent families? Why would God choose the backwater of the empire to be the birthplace of the savior, instead of, for example, Rome? For those of us who live in a powerful country, how willing are we to consider that God may continue to choose other venues for gifts?
Reread verses 51 through 53. Are your expectations and hopes consistent with the prospects of the lowly being lifted and the hungry filled? How about the powerful being pulled down from their high status and the rich being sent away empty-handed?
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