2nd Passiontide 2017, Wakened Ear

2^nd Passiontide

Ivan Aivasovsky, Wikimedia

March 26, 2017

John 6: 16 - 26

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off over the sea for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "I AM, have no fear." Now when they wanted to take him into the boat, immediately the boat was at the land, at the place where they wanted to go.

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, the truth I say to you: You are seeking me not because you saw signs of spiritual power, but because you ate of the bread and were satisfied.

  

2^nd Passiontide

March 26, 2017

John 6: 16 - 26

We are in rough waters. The wind of events are howling; the seas of emotions are running high. We are making efforts toward our goals, but are being pushed back. Fear is rising.

This is the moment when our hearts can call on our awareness of the spirit. We know that there is an over-arching divine consciousness. Our awareness of the spirit becomes a Presence; it can itself be terrifying at first. But in compassion, the Presence says: Fear not. I AM. And immediately we are at our goal. We find the ground under our feet. We experience calm trust and the radiance of love. For we 'have eaten of the bread and were satisfied.' (John 6:26)

The heart’s song did not sound in vain,

for many now can hear again

the word of angels: Do not fear!

New light and sound in us appear

for strengthened heart and wakened ear.*

*Lent Song, German folk song, translation from Camphill

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1st Passiontide 2017,

1^st Passiontide

March 19, 2017

Luke 11: 29-35

Queen of Sheba, Metropolitan Museum

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If, however, the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

First Passiontide

March 19, 2017

Luke 11: 29-35

In growing darkness, our perceptions change. As light fades, shadowy figures may emerge. In darkness fears arise and we can become disoriented. We may bump into things and ourselves grow dark with anger.

Our perception of the state of the world has changed. Shadowy figures abound. We may be afraid for the future and not know how to orient ourselves.

Bernhard Eyb

The gospel reading gives us a hint: we are to look at the world clearly and impartially. We are not to let our perceptions be clouded, neither by a desire for sweetness and light, nor for power. Rather we are to see the world as going through one of its cycles, like the rhythm of day and night. We are to look for the light of the good spirits of human progress. We are to see clearly the light of spiritual guidance, the working of Christ and his angels, shining amid the darkness of the times.

And we are to protect our relationship to this light, take it into ourselves. Then this light will shine forth from us out into the world, as trust in the greater powers of the good, as hope, and as love. In the words of Wendell Berry:

. . . remember:

when a man of war becomes a man of peace,

he gives a light, divine

though it is also human.

When a man of peace is killed

by a man of war, he gives a light.

You do not have to walk in darkness.

If you will have the courage for love,

you may walk in light.  It will be

the light of those who have suffered

for peace.  It will be

your light.*

Wendell Berry, "To my granddaughters who visited the Holocaust Museum on the day of the burial of Yitzhak Rabin", in A Timbered Choir

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6th February Trinity 2017, Rise Up

6th February Trinity

The Transfiguration, (after Fra Angelico)

(5th Sunday before Easter)

Matthew 17: 1-13

After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James and led them together up a high mountain apart from the others.

There his appearance was transformed before them. His face shone bright as the sun, and his garments became white, shining bright as the light. And behold, there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, conversing in the spirit with Jesus.

And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be in this place. If you wish, I will build here three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them and suddenly they heard a voice from the cloud that said, “This is my son, whom I love. In him, I am revealed. Hear him.”

When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces to the ground in awe and terror.

And Jesus approached them, and touching them said, “Rise, and do not fear.”

And raising their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus.

The Baptism, Collot d' Herbois

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them: “Tell no one what you have seen until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”

And the disciples asked him, “What is meant when the scribes say, ‘First Elijah must come again’?” He answered, “Elijah comes indeed, and prepares everything [restores all things]. But I say to you, Elijah has already come, and the people did not recognize him but rather have done to him whatever they pleased. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer much at their hands.”

Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

6th February Trinity (5th Sunday before Easter)

March 12, 2017

Matthew 17: 1-13

The view from the top of a hill raises our consciousness. It opens things up; we

Gruenewald, Face of Christ

can see more, see further, see the greater context.

In today's reading, we hear that the disciples are on a high mountain. There they are able to see greater things. In our lives, too, we can have such peak experiences. Through prayer and contemplation, we can do the often arduous inner climb to a higher view. We can begin to see more, see further. We may be able to view things in a greater context.

Like the disciples, we may even be able to see Him, shining in love like the sun. We may even be able to hear the voice of His Father, our Father, the voice of World Karma, telling us to listen to His Son.

What we can see of World Karma can fill us with terror. Yet Christ encourages all of us to climb the mountain, to pray and to contemplate with Him. 'Rise up', He says. 'Do not fear.' 

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5th February/March Trinity 2017, Adversaries of Humanity

February Trinity 

(Sunday after Ash Wednesday)

Matthew 4:1-11

Tissot

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the loneliness of the desert to experience the tempting power of the adversary.

After fasting forty days and nights, for the first time, He felt hunger for earthly nourishment. Then the tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, let these stones become bread through the power of your word.”

Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘The human being shall not live by bread alone; he lives by the creative power of every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the parapet of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Blake

Jesus answered him, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Again, a third time, the devil took him to a very elevated place and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give to you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me as your Lord. “

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship [pray to] God your Lord who guides you and serve him only.’”

Then the adversary left him, and he beheld again the angels as they came to bring him nourishment.

February/March Trinity 

(Sunday after Ash Wednesday)

March 5, 2017

Matthew 4:1-11

Temptation in the Desert, Michael O'Brien

One of the dictums of war is 'divide and conquer'. This method is used to maintain or gain power. In today's reading, the adversaries of humanity seem to recognize that someone has arrived on the field of battle who will be a threat to their power over humanity on earth. The tempter always tries to separate the human and earthly from the divine. The tempter's plan of divide and conquer has always been to get the human being to depend on, either totally him or herself, or on the nature of the earthly world.

Christ's visitations by the adversaries of humanity are archetypal for all human beings. We are all tempted to nourish our bodies and souls solely through earthly substances. We are all tempted to defy the laws of spirit and the laws of matter. We are all tempted to pay exclusive attention and devotion to earthly splendors.

Christ has shown us how to maintain our connection to the divine while on earth. We can recognize that it is God's own life force that keeps us alive, not just the earthly substance. We can humbly acknowledge that we are not above God's heavenly and earthly laws. We can recognize that the splendor of all earthly kingdoms belongs to God, who keeps all alive.

We ourselves conquer the adversary through gratitude and praise. In the words of the poet:

I praise my God, as every morning the sun awakens,

And I am grateful for all the wonders my eyes can see.

. . . I praise my God every morning as I awaken,

And give him thanks for every breath I’ve taken,

. . .

I praise my God when I look up and watch in wonder,

As every time I see the sky, with naked eyes,

I pray that I should be made worthy of his grace:

That when I look up to the ether clouds, I see his face…*

*Psalms of Praises by r. de cassia Canticle 2- I Praise my God, Zurielpress 

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