Dear Friends of Renewal--
This Sunday's readings are about sheep. Generally we don't like to be likened to sheep. Sheep are stupid, sheep can't find their own way, sheep are easy prey to wolves, sheep don't even realize what's going on when they are led to slaughter. Yet in the grand view of God's Universe, all we, like sheep, have gone astray (Isaiah 53.6).
The readings for this the Fourth Sunday of Easter can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/042510.shtml, and in your Bible at:
Acts 13.14, 43-52
Psalm 100.1-2, 3, 5
Revelation 7.9, 14b-17
John 10.27-30
The First Reading describes a scene like winter feeding time at a sheep ranch in Montana. Grazing is not an option during the cold months. The sheep need to be fed to stay alive. Sheep may be stupid, but they come as one when the food arrives. Paul and Barnabus arrived at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13.14) and were invited to speak in the synagogue on their first Sabbath there. Paul got up and made a beautifully logical case for Christianity being the natural follower of Judaism (the part left out, vs. 16-42, is this first recorded speech of Paul's). The synagogue officials invited him back to speak again next Sabbath.
Then word of his talk spread that week and next Sabbath almost the whole city turned out to hear him again (v. 44). The people, especially the Gentile visitors, were delighted to hear his good news of salvation. But the synagogue officials now saw it getting out of hand (v. 45). I bet they wished they had never asked Paul to talk in the first place! They didn't know a card-carrying Pharisee, which Paul was, would turn out to be such a radical! They gathered some cronies and ran him and his buddy Barnabus out of town (v. 50)!
But those synagogue officials should have read this Sunday's Responsorial Psalm! "Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands!" (Ps. 100.1). I take that to mean Gentile lands too. We are his people, the sheep of his flock (v. 3).
The Second Reading is another from John's Revelation. Here too, the emphasis is on diversity: "I had a vision of a great multitude... from every nation, race, people, and tongue" (Rev. 7.9). More folks than just Jews stood before the Lamb singing praises...
You know, when you think about it, the best kind of leader is one who can relate to what his or her followers go through. And here John describes our Shepherd as the Lamb who was slain, the One in whose blood we have washed our robes and made them white (v. 14). Jesus is the best Shepherd we could have because he's been a sheep himself. Led to the slaughter, he behaved just like a sheep, making not a move to resist. With Jesus as our Shepherd, we have nothing to fear. Not even death. We have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. He will shepherd us and lead us to springs of life-giving water, and he will wipe away all our tears (v. 17).
The Gospel Reading is short and sweet. The promises, for us sheep, in this short passage have eternal significance. "...they shall never perish" (John 10.28). "...no one can take them out of the Father's hand" (v. 29). There can be no wolf in our future.
Let us remember Psalm 23 this week: The LORD is our Shepherd. We lack nothing. We rest in his green pastures. He leads us to tranquil waters. He restores our souls.
May the Good Shepherd restore our souls this week.
--Randy
Randy Jones
"Those who cannot hear the shepherd's voice fear the wolves!"
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
RENEWsletter for April 18, 2010 - 3rd Easter
Dear Renewers--
This is a unique time of year. It is the only season of the church year when we read about things Jesus did on this planet after he rose from the dead.
The readings this week for the Third Sunday in Easter are found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/041810.shtml, and in your Bible in:
Acts 5.27-32, 40b-41
Psalm 30.2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13
Revelation 5.11-14
John 21.1-19
We should take the story in the Gospel Reading first because chronologically it sets the stage for the reading from Acts. The Psalm fits neatly in there next. Then, while we may think of Revelation as coming last, this passage really shows what's going on constantly in heaven from the beginning of time. And it will still be going on when we get there. We won't miss a thing.
The Gospel Reading is another account of the resurrected Jesus revealing himself to the disciples. They don't recognize him right away (John 21.4). But that thing with the fish filling the nets after a night of no bites was a dead give-away (v. 6). Peter jumps out of the boat and splashes to shore (v. 7). I wonder if he thought he was going to run on top of the water. He didn't. He sank. But this time he was tall enough to reach the bottom. When the rest drew the boat in to shore, Jesus fed them with bread and fish he had cooked (vs. 12-13).
When breakfast as over, Jesus force-fed Peter with some spiritual food. "Do you love me?" he asked three times. If you love Jesus you will tell others about him. You will "feed his sheep" (vs. 15-17).
The story in the First Reading shows us that Peter did finally get it. (Read clear through verses 27-41... the part left out is really interesting!) He and his comrades were hauled up on charges of preaching in the name of an enemy of the synagogue, of pointing out that the rulers of the synagogue were responsible for getting him executed, and of general rabble-rousing (Acts 5.27-28). But if you read the section that is left out, you find that the Sanhedrin decide to let them go in hopes that it will die out the way the other rabble-rousers and zealous self-appointed Messiahs faded away before them. "If it is of men, it will come to nothing. And if it is of God, we don't want to be caught opposing God, now, do we?" (Acts 5:38, 39).
So Peter and the rest were let go, after a flogging, but I can just see them leaving that place laughing and leaping and clapping each other on the back ("Ouch! Got flogged there!" "Oh, sorry!"), rejoicing that they got to suffer some dishonor like Jesus their Lord had (vs. 40, 41).
This is a good spot to look at the Responsorial Psalm. Those guys had just been rescued from the Sanhedrin and one of them may have started singing, "I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me!" (Ps. 30.2). The Lord had drawn them clear of danger and did not let their enemies rejoice over them (v. 2 still). Any mourning they had been doing was now changed into dancing (v. 11).
Well, guess what. The teaching the Sanhedrin wanted to stop wasn't of men at all. It was indeed of God. It didn't die out. And all the time, as the Second Reading tells us, countless numbers of angels and living creatures and elders, in fact the entire Universe, were crying out in loud voices, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain! Worthy is he to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" (Rev. 5.11-13).
You think it gets noisy at a Sharks hockey game when the arena (the "Tank") is filled with screaming fans? Especially during the playoffs! But you should hear the Heavenly Host!
Listen for them this week, praising and glorifying the Lamb who was slain and who is seated at the right hand of God himself! It'll make this week truly great.
Randy Jones
"Those who hear not the angels think the believers mad!"
This is a unique time of year. It is the only season of the church year when we read about things Jesus did on this planet after he rose from the dead.
The readings this week for the Third Sunday in Easter are found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/041810.shtml, and in your Bible in:
Acts 5.27-32, 40b-41
Psalm 30.2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13
Revelation 5.11-14
John 21.1-19
We should take the story in the Gospel Reading first because chronologically it sets the stage for the reading from Acts. The Psalm fits neatly in there next. Then, while we may think of Revelation as coming last, this passage really shows what's going on constantly in heaven from the beginning of time. And it will still be going on when we get there. We won't miss a thing.
The Gospel Reading is another account of the resurrected Jesus revealing himself to the disciples. They don't recognize him right away (John 21.4). But that thing with the fish filling the nets after a night of no bites was a dead give-away (v. 6). Peter jumps out of the boat and splashes to shore (v. 7). I wonder if he thought he was going to run on top of the water. He didn't. He sank. But this time he was tall enough to reach the bottom. When the rest drew the boat in to shore, Jesus fed them with bread and fish he had cooked (vs. 12-13).
When breakfast as over, Jesus force-fed Peter with some spiritual food. "Do you love me?" he asked three times. If you love Jesus you will tell others about him. You will "feed his sheep" (vs. 15-17).
The story in the First Reading shows us that Peter did finally get it. (Read clear through verses 27-41... the part left out is really interesting!) He and his comrades were hauled up on charges of preaching in the name of an enemy of the synagogue, of pointing out that the rulers of the synagogue were responsible for getting him executed, and of general rabble-rousing (Acts 5.27-28). But if you read the section that is left out, you find that the Sanhedrin decide to let them go in hopes that it will die out the way the other rabble-rousers and zealous self-appointed Messiahs faded away before them. "If it is of men, it will come to nothing. And if it is of God, we don't want to be caught opposing God, now, do we?" (Acts 5:38, 39).
So Peter and the rest were let go, after a flogging, but I can just see them leaving that place laughing and leaping and clapping each other on the back ("Ouch! Got flogged there!" "Oh, sorry!"), rejoicing that they got to suffer some dishonor like Jesus their Lord had (vs. 40, 41).
This is a good spot to look at the Responsorial Psalm. Those guys had just been rescued from the Sanhedrin and one of them may have started singing, "I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me!" (Ps. 30.2). The Lord had drawn them clear of danger and did not let their enemies rejoice over them (v. 2 still). Any mourning they had been doing was now changed into dancing (v. 11).
Well, guess what. The teaching the Sanhedrin wanted to stop wasn't of men at all. It was indeed of God. It didn't die out. And all the time, as the Second Reading tells us, countless numbers of angels and living creatures and elders, in fact the entire Universe, were crying out in loud voices, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain! Worthy is he to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" (Rev. 5.11-13).
You think it gets noisy at a Sharks hockey game when the arena (the "Tank") is filled with screaming fans? Especially during the playoffs! But you should hear the Heavenly Host!
Listen for them this week, praising and glorifying the Lamb who was slain and who is seated at the right hand of God himself! It'll make this week truly great.
Randy Jones
"Those who hear not the angels think the believers mad!"
Monday, April 5, 2010
RENEWsletter for April 11, 2010 - 2nd Easter
Dear Friends of Renewal,
The Scriptures for Sunday jump all over the centuries from the evening of Resurrection Day to hundreds of years before when the Psalmist predicts a promotion, to the first few weeks after the Ascension of Jesus, to late in the First Century with a story about a time that is yet in our future.
The readings for this coming Second Sunday of the Easter Season can be found on the web at http://www.usccb.org/nab/041110.shtml, and in your Bible at:
Acts 5.12-16
Psalm 118.2-4, 13-15, 22-24 (with v. 1)
Revelation 1.9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
John 20.19-31
I'm going to take these readings in chronological order this time and start with the Responsorial Psalm. Look at Ps. 118.22. "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Science fiction writers have speculated what would happen if a rocket ship were swallowed up by a black hole. A black hole is a super-dense star whose gravity is so strong that not even light can escape and everything that falls into it is crushed into a very tiny space. But writers suggest that the object will emerge somewhere else in the Universe at a "white hole". There is no evidence for the existence of these white holes, but the idea illustrates what I like to call "the Principle of the Paradox". This is a concept that occurs in the Bible when something that happens is exactly the opposite of what one would expect. (For example, Luke 9.24. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.") Jesus was aware of this Psalm and knew that though he was to be crucified, God would raise him from the dead and make him a "cornerstone" of faith for millennia to come. For "his mercy endures forever!" (vs. 2-4).
Next we come to the time of the Gospel Reading. Jesus had been crucified the Friday before. It was Sunday now, and only some women had seen him. But now he showed up at the place where the frightened disciples were holed up. The doors were locked, and the disciples were worried about what to do next when they suddenly realized Jesus was standing there (John 20.19). Their joy was overwhelming (v. 20). At first they must have thought things would return to the way they were before that trouble with the Sanhedrin. But Jesus had news for them. "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you," he said (v. 21). Peace? With the chief priests out there getting people crucified? Send us? But we're all stones the builders have rejected.... Surely thoughts like that were going through their heads. But then Jesus breathed on them and the Holy Spirit entered them (v. 22). Suddenly the Principle of the Paradox made perfect sense. They were to become cornerstones.
The First Reading is next chronologically. Peter indeed has become a cornerstone of faith in the risen Lord. This scene takes place after Christ has ascended to heaven and there is no more physical evidence of his material existence. But the work of Jesus -- healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead -- continued to be carried out by the apostles (Acts 5.12). And great numbers of people, all without Doubting Thomas's hang up about "seeing's believing", came to a belief that the risen, no longer visible Lord Jesus was the healer of souls (v. 14).
Lastly we come to the Second Reading from Revelation. This was possibly written by the same John who wrote the Gospel. He was marooned on an island called Patmos and it was there that he received the visions and inspiration to write the Book of Revelation (Rev 1.9). Jesus appears to him in human form (v. 13), yet not merely human. Jesus is no longer riding the stream of time. He is in his eternal body and has access to all times, first and last, past, present and future (see vs. 17, 18). His command to John is to write about all the things that have happened, are happening at that time, and that will happen (v. 19). And he, Jesus, was just the one to show him all those things.
We humans walk through our lives one minute, hour, day at a time. We remember the past with nostalgia or regret, we notice what's happening around us in real time and smile or frown, and we look forward to or dread the future. But our Savior doesn't walk through time. He was around before the creation of the Universe, he'll be around long after the Universe is finished, and he's around today, now, this very second. He is in control and he says to us, as he said to John who was scared to half to death on that island, "Don't be afraid..." (Rev 1.17).
As we work through our lives day by day, we need not be afraid. Our Friend and Brother, our Savior Jesus Christ, is there beside us to turn disaster into blessing, mourning into dancing, and fear into peace. He truly is risen!
Randy Jones
"Those who give up too soon miss the chance to become a cornerstone!"
The Scriptures for Sunday jump all over the centuries from the evening of Resurrection Day to hundreds of years before when the Psalmist predicts a promotion, to the first few weeks after the Ascension of Jesus, to late in the First Century with a story about a time that is yet in our future.
The readings for this coming Second Sunday of the Easter Season can be found on the web at http://www.usccb.org/nab/041110.shtml, and in your Bible at:
Acts 5.12-16
Psalm 118.2-4, 13-15, 22-24 (with v. 1)
Revelation 1.9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
John 20.19-31
I'm going to take these readings in chronological order this time and start with the Responsorial Psalm. Look at Ps. 118.22. "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Science fiction writers have speculated what would happen if a rocket ship were swallowed up by a black hole. A black hole is a super-dense star whose gravity is so strong that not even light can escape and everything that falls into it is crushed into a very tiny space. But writers suggest that the object will emerge somewhere else in the Universe at a "white hole". There is no evidence for the existence of these white holes, but the idea illustrates what I like to call "the Principle of the Paradox". This is a concept that occurs in the Bible when something that happens is exactly the opposite of what one would expect. (For example, Luke 9.24. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.") Jesus was aware of this Psalm and knew that though he was to be crucified, God would raise him from the dead and make him a "cornerstone" of faith for millennia to come. For "his mercy endures forever!" (vs. 2-4).
Next we come to the time of the Gospel Reading. Jesus had been crucified the Friday before. It was Sunday now, and only some women had seen him. But now he showed up at the place where the frightened disciples were holed up. The doors were locked, and the disciples were worried about what to do next when they suddenly realized Jesus was standing there (John 20.19). Their joy was overwhelming (v. 20). At first they must have thought things would return to the way they were before that trouble with the Sanhedrin. But Jesus had news for them. "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you," he said (v. 21). Peace? With the chief priests out there getting people crucified? Send us? But we're all stones the builders have rejected.... Surely thoughts like that were going through their heads. But then Jesus breathed on them and the Holy Spirit entered them (v. 22). Suddenly the Principle of the Paradox made perfect sense. They were to become cornerstones.
The First Reading is next chronologically. Peter indeed has become a cornerstone of faith in the risen Lord. This scene takes place after Christ has ascended to heaven and there is no more physical evidence of his material existence. But the work of Jesus -- healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead -- continued to be carried out by the apostles (Acts 5.12). And great numbers of people, all without Doubting Thomas's hang up about "seeing's believing", came to a belief that the risen, no longer visible Lord Jesus was the healer of souls (v. 14).
Lastly we come to the Second Reading from Revelation. This was possibly written by the same John who wrote the Gospel. He was marooned on an island called Patmos and it was there that he received the visions and inspiration to write the Book of Revelation (Rev 1.9). Jesus appears to him in human form (v. 13), yet not merely human. Jesus is no longer riding the stream of time. He is in his eternal body and has access to all times, first and last, past, present and future (see vs. 17, 18). His command to John is to write about all the things that have happened, are happening at that time, and that will happen (v. 19). And he, Jesus, was just the one to show him all those things.
We humans walk through our lives one minute, hour, day at a time. We remember the past with nostalgia or regret, we notice what's happening around us in real time and smile or frown, and we look forward to or dread the future. But our Savior doesn't walk through time. He was around before the creation of the Universe, he'll be around long after the Universe is finished, and he's around today, now, this very second. He is in control and he says to us, as he said to John who was scared to half to death on that island, "Don't be afraid..." (Rev 1.17).
As we work through our lives day by day, we need not be afraid. Our Friend and Brother, our Savior Jesus Christ, is there beside us to turn disaster into blessing, mourning into dancing, and fear into peace. He truly is risen!
Randy Jones
"Those who give up too soon miss the chance to become a cornerstone!"
Monday, March 29, 2010
RENEWsletter for April 4, 2010 - Easter
Dear risen people--
This Sunday is a special one... like I really need to tell you! This Sunday we celebrate Christ's rising from the dead, the one event that will make it possible for us too to rise from the dead, as the Scriptures tell us.
The readings for this Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of the Lord, can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/040410.shtml, and in your Bible at:
Acts 10.34a, 37-43
Psalm 118.1-2, 16-17, 22-23, 24
Colossians 3.1-4 - or - 1 Corinthians 5.6b-8
John 20.1-9
One thing we have seen about St. Peter... the first disciple that Jesus recruited... is that he was bold, brash, and impulsive. He was also an excellent extemporaneous speaker as the First Reading shows. A Roman Centurion, Cornelius, commander of a cohort of Roman soldiers (300 to 600 men), was interested in Christianity and had been praying. God led him to send for Peter. There was a crowd of people there when Peter arrived and Cornelius, in typical military commander fashion, said, "Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to listen to all that you have been commanded by the Lord." Never at a loss for words, Peter went for it (Acts 10.34). He told the old, old story: Jesus went about doing good, healing, and forgiving (v. 38). Then he was arrested and executed (v. 39). But he rose from the dead (v. 40). Peter and his friends were eye witnesses of this and ate and drank with him after the resurrection (v. 41). Peter declared that, "he commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that... everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins!" (vs. 42, 43).
The Psalmist, too, is pumped and breaks out into spontaneous song. "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad!" (Ps. 118.24). Something really good had just happened and the psalmist was overcome with joy (v. 16). Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever opened a letter (or an email) from a friend or relative and received such happy news that you burst into song? Oh! happy day! That's what this Sunday is... a happy, happy day (v. 23)!
Paul, in the first of the Second Readings, explains that once we are raised with Christ, the conditions change. No longer are we occupied with mundane, worldly things. We have died! And our life is now folded into Christ's (Col. 3:3). In the other Second Reading, he talks some more to that "folded in" idea. When someone is making bread, the yeast needs to be folded into the lump so it leavens the whole batch. That's what sin does to our lives. But once we have new life in Christ, we are like a fresh batch of dough. The old yeast of malice and wickedness is gone are we are like the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor. 5:8).
The Gospel Reading brings us back to impulsive Peter. Mary Magdalene had gone to Jesus's tomb before dawn that morning with spices and oils to anoint the body of Jesus (John 20.1). Happily she noticed that the grave was open. But, oh my God! the body was gone! She ran back to where the disciples were holed up, woke Peter and told him (v. 2). Peter took off at once, but was outrun by "the other disciple" (v. 4). Although the other disciple got there first, he didn't go in (v. 5). Peter, however, didn't hesitate. He pushed past and went right in (v. 6).
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, it is said. Has that ever happened to you? Sometimes it turns out bad, but other times, when the Holy Spirit moves, we respond before we have time to listen to our doubts. What's your habit? Do the things you know about God pop out spontaneously like Peter? I was on the phone one day at work with a tech support guy who was located in India. When we found the problem, he burst out with "Praise God!" Knowing he was Indian, I asked what religion he embraced. "I'm a Christian," he said. Because that man had rushed in, foolishly some would say, and uttered a "Praise God", we each found a brother in Christ.... halfway around the world!
This week, let your joy in the resurrection fill you and overflow. Who knows what potential blessing you have for someone nearby?
Randy Jones
"Those who fear to tread say only fools do that!"
This Sunday is a special one... like I really need to tell you! This Sunday we celebrate Christ's rising from the dead, the one event that will make it possible for us too to rise from the dead, as the Scriptures tell us.
The readings for this Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of the Lord, can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/040410.shtml, and in your Bible at:
Acts 10.34a, 37-43
Psalm 118.1-2, 16-17, 22-23, 24
Colossians 3.1-4 - or - 1 Corinthians 5.6b-8
John 20.1-9
One thing we have seen about St. Peter... the first disciple that Jesus recruited... is that he was bold, brash, and impulsive. He was also an excellent extemporaneous speaker as the First Reading shows. A Roman Centurion, Cornelius, commander of a cohort of Roman soldiers (300 to 600 men), was interested in Christianity and had been praying. God led him to send for Peter. There was a crowd of people there when Peter arrived and Cornelius, in typical military commander fashion, said, "Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to listen to all that you have been commanded by the Lord." Never at a loss for words, Peter went for it (Acts 10.34). He told the old, old story: Jesus went about doing good, healing, and forgiving (v. 38). Then he was arrested and executed (v. 39). But he rose from the dead (v. 40). Peter and his friends were eye witnesses of this and ate and drank with him after the resurrection (v. 41). Peter declared that, "he commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that... everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins!" (vs. 42, 43).
The Psalmist, too, is pumped and breaks out into spontaneous song. "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad!" (Ps. 118.24). Something really good had just happened and the psalmist was overcome with joy (v. 16). Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever opened a letter (or an email) from a friend or relative and received such happy news that you burst into song? Oh! happy day! That's what this Sunday is... a happy, happy day (v. 23)!
Paul, in the first of the Second Readings, explains that once we are raised with Christ, the conditions change. No longer are we occupied with mundane, worldly things. We have died! And our life is now folded into Christ's (Col. 3:3). In the other Second Reading, he talks some more to that "folded in" idea. When someone is making bread, the yeast needs to be folded into the lump so it leavens the whole batch. That's what sin does to our lives. But once we have new life in Christ, we are like a fresh batch of dough. The old yeast of malice and wickedness is gone are we are like the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor. 5:8).
The Gospel Reading brings us back to impulsive Peter. Mary Magdalene had gone to Jesus's tomb before dawn that morning with spices and oils to anoint the body of Jesus (John 20.1). Happily she noticed that the grave was open. But, oh my God! the body was gone! She ran back to where the disciples were holed up, woke Peter and told him (v. 2). Peter took off at once, but was outrun by "the other disciple" (v. 4). Although the other disciple got there first, he didn't go in (v. 5). Peter, however, didn't hesitate. He pushed past and went right in (v. 6).
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, it is said. Has that ever happened to you? Sometimes it turns out bad, but other times, when the Holy Spirit moves, we respond before we have time to listen to our doubts. What's your habit? Do the things you know about God pop out spontaneously like Peter? I was on the phone one day at work with a tech support guy who was located in India. When we found the problem, he burst out with "Praise God!" Knowing he was Indian, I asked what religion he embraced. "I'm a Christian," he said. Because that man had rushed in, foolishly some would say, and uttered a "Praise God", we each found a brother in Christ.... halfway around the world!
This week, let your joy in the resurrection fill you and overflow. Who knows what potential blessing you have for someone nearby?
Randy Jones
"Those who fear to tread say only fools do that!"
Monday, March 22, 2010
RENEWsletter for March 28, 2010 - Palm Sunday
Dear Renewed people--
Next Sunday we commemorate the Lord's Passion. "Passion" these days means something like "ardor" or "wild enthusiasm", but the word comes from the Latin where its roots are in passus which means "suffering". So... next Sunday we commemorate the Lord's Suffering.
You can find the readings for this coming Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/032810a.shtml, or find them in your Bible in:
Isaiah 50.4-7
Psalm 22.8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Philippians 2.6-11
Luke 22.14 -- 23.56
If you want to experience the entire last week of Jesus's life on earth before his death, start with Luke 19.28. Verses 28-40 are actually the Processional Reading and take us through Jesus's triumphal march into Jerusalem. Each year the Processional and Gospel Readings come from a different Gospel: Matthew in Year A, Mark or John in Year B, and Luke in Year C, this year. But the First and Second Readings and the Psalm are always the same.
The First Reading from Isaiah is the core of the Suffering Servant passage. It describes what Jesus went through during his last 12 hours before his death. If you've seen the movie The Passion of the Christ of a few years ago, this passage will invoke vivid mental images of the original meaning of "passion". "I gave my back to those who beat me" and "my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting" (Is. 50.6). Jesus was obedient to the Plan. He had to go through this if he was to fulfill the plan of Salvation. So he set his face like flint and he was not disgraced (v. 7).
In the Responsorial Psalm, David sings of the Passion as well. "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" (Ps. 22.2). Jesus uttered these words as he hung dying on that Roman instrument of torture and death. Those watching sneer, "He relied on the LORD; let Him deliver him" (v. 9). Ever wonder why those people, who thronged around Jesus and sang his praises as he entered Jerusalem triumphantly, turned against him? Maybe they thought they'd been tricked. If Jesus were so close to God the Father, why could he not save himself? Why didn't he overthrow the Romans and give Israel back to the Jews?
The Second Reading has the explanation. Jesus chose not to save himself! Phil. 2.8 says, "He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death." Without the shedding of blood, without the death of the sacrificial Lamb, there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). But the "Principle of the Paradox" kicks in here. "Because of this, God greatly exalted him" (v. 9). Visualize yourself on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in the midst of wilderness. Across the mighty canyon is civilization, people, gift shops, restaurants, rest rooms. You'd really like to get there. The direct route would take you down into the mile-deep gorge and back up the other side. Not an easy trip. Better go around. Christ didn't go around. He went through it. And because he did, every soul who ever lived, lives, or will live... every being in heaven or hell... will confess that Jesus is Lord (v. 11).
The Gospel Reading covers the Last Supper (Luke 22.14-38), the Betrayal (ch. 22 vs. 39-53), the Trial (ch. 22 v 54 through ch. 23 v. 25), and Christ's death on the Cross (ch. 23 vs. 26-49). Reading this long passage slowly and prayerfully takes us through the Stations of the Cross. Some are left out of Luke's narrative, but many are there. If you've seen The Passion, you have sharp images and piercing feelings as you read this account. It wasn't pretty.
The narrative closes with the mangled body of Jesus being laid in the new tomb of one Joseph of Arimathea (ch. 23 vs. 50-56), a member of the Sanhedrin, who didn't go along with the plan to kill Jesus. But because it was so close to sunset and Passover was about to begin, there wasn't time to properly prepare the body for burial. Thus the women who had followed the company from Galilee, gathered the embalming spices and oils and planned to do it after the Sabbath. Even they thought it was over and had given up. They hadn't really believed him when he said he would rise again.
Do we believe, truly believe, that there is a Resurrection? Slipping down the wall of the Grand Canyon, scraping our hands, tripping, falling, tumbling, cracking our bones against the rocks... do we really believe that there will be peace for us later? ...comfort? ...joy? Can our present pain, fear, and frustration succumb to faith, hope, and trust?
Life is a "passion" at times... in the Latin sense of the word. We suffer now, but we are promised a dawn, a resurrection after the horrible night. This week, if things get tough, set your face like flint (Is. 50:7) and look to the Resurrection. Believe that he will rise again!
Randy Jones
"Those who cannot endure the night say there is no dawn!"
Next Sunday we commemorate the Lord's Passion. "Passion" these days means something like "ardor" or "wild enthusiasm", but the word comes from the Latin where its roots are in passus which means "suffering". So... next Sunday we commemorate the Lord's Suffering.
You can find the readings for this coming Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/032810a.shtml, or find them in your Bible in:
Isaiah 50.4-7
Psalm 22.8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Philippians 2.6-11
Luke 22.14 -- 23.56
If you want to experience the entire last week of Jesus's life on earth before his death, start with Luke 19.28. Verses 28-40 are actually the Processional Reading and take us through Jesus's triumphal march into Jerusalem. Each year the Processional and Gospel Readings come from a different Gospel: Matthew in Year A, Mark or John in Year B, and Luke in Year C, this year. But the First and Second Readings and the Psalm are always the same.
The First Reading from Isaiah is the core of the Suffering Servant passage. It describes what Jesus went through during his last 12 hours before his death. If you've seen the movie The Passion of the Christ of a few years ago, this passage will invoke vivid mental images of the original meaning of "passion". "I gave my back to those who beat me" and "my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting" (Is. 50.6). Jesus was obedient to the Plan. He had to go through this if he was to fulfill the plan of Salvation. So he set his face like flint and he was not disgraced (v. 7).
In the Responsorial Psalm, David sings of the Passion as well. "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" (Ps. 22.2). Jesus uttered these words as he hung dying on that Roman instrument of torture and death. Those watching sneer, "He relied on the LORD; let Him deliver him" (v. 9). Ever wonder why those people, who thronged around Jesus and sang his praises as he entered Jerusalem triumphantly, turned against him? Maybe they thought they'd been tricked. If Jesus were so close to God the Father, why could he not save himself? Why didn't he overthrow the Romans and give Israel back to the Jews?
The Second Reading has the explanation. Jesus chose not to save himself! Phil. 2.8 says, "He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death." Without the shedding of blood, without the death of the sacrificial Lamb, there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). But the "Principle of the Paradox" kicks in here. "Because of this, God greatly exalted him" (v. 9). Visualize yourself on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in the midst of wilderness. Across the mighty canyon is civilization, people, gift shops, restaurants, rest rooms. You'd really like to get there. The direct route would take you down into the mile-deep gorge and back up the other side. Not an easy trip. Better go around. Christ didn't go around. He went through it. And because he did, every soul who ever lived, lives, or will live... every being in heaven or hell... will confess that Jesus is Lord (v. 11).
The Gospel Reading covers the Last Supper (Luke 22.14-38), the Betrayal (ch. 22 vs. 39-53), the Trial (ch. 22 v 54 through ch. 23 v. 25), and Christ's death on the Cross (ch. 23 vs. 26-49). Reading this long passage slowly and prayerfully takes us through the Stations of the Cross. Some are left out of Luke's narrative, but many are there. If you've seen The Passion, you have sharp images and piercing feelings as you read this account. It wasn't pretty.
The narrative closes with the mangled body of Jesus being laid in the new tomb of one Joseph of Arimathea (ch. 23 vs. 50-56), a member of the Sanhedrin, who didn't go along with the plan to kill Jesus. But because it was so close to sunset and Passover was about to begin, there wasn't time to properly prepare the body for burial. Thus the women who had followed the company from Galilee, gathered the embalming spices and oils and planned to do it after the Sabbath. Even they thought it was over and had given up. They hadn't really believed him when he said he would rise again.
Do we believe, truly believe, that there is a Resurrection? Slipping down the wall of the Grand Canyon, scraping our hands, tripping, falling, tumbling, cracking our bones against the rocks... do we really believe that there will be peace for us later? ...comfort? ...joy? Can our present pain, fear, and frustration succumb to faith, hope, and trust?
Life is a "passion" at times... in the Latin sense of the word. We suffer now, but we are promised a dawn, a resurrection after the horrible night. This week, if things get tough, set your face like flint (Is. 50:7) and look to the Resurrection. Believe that he will rise again!
Randy Jones
"Those who cannot endure the night say there is no dawn!"
Monday, March 15, 2010
RENEWsletter for March 21, 2010 - 5th Lent
Dear Partakers in Renewal--
Next Sunday's readings speak of something new. Now Qoheleth, the writer of Ecclesiastes, laments that "nothing is new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1.9). Well, there may be nothing new under the sun today, but tomorrow isn't here yet.
The readings for this Fifth Sunday of Lent can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/032110c.shtml, and in your Bible in:
Isaiah 43.16-21
Psalm 126.1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Philippians 3.8-14
John 8.1-11
Otherwise, if your church uses the RCIA readings, see the Year A entry for the Fifth Sunday of Lent: http://www.usccb.org/nab/032110a.shtml.
The First Reading finds Isaiah really pumped about what God can do. He can wipe out mighty armies (Is. 43.17). He can make a way through the desert and cause rivers to flow in the wasteland (v. 19). For his people he can make a happy and prosperous life in the midst of desolation (v. 20). Yes, the LORD is doing something new (v. 19 again).
In the Responsorial Psalm, the psalmist as well sings of something new that the LORD has done. He brought back the captives to Zion (Ps. 126.1). This was unheard of in those days. When you conquered a nation, you hauled off the leaders so they couldn't incite rebellion. It was nuts to let them go back. Yet Cyrus did. It was something new that God had a hand in. This was not lost on the Israelites. They were filled with joy (v. 3)!
Paul did something new too, and he tells about it in the Second Reading. "I consider everything a loss" (Phil. 3:8). He gave up all his wealth, status, and power... "I consider them so much rubbish" (v. 8 again). Why? "That I may gain Christ and be found in him" (v. 8-9).
The Gospel Reading shows that Jesus was doing something new in Palestine circa AD 29. The Law of Moses, handed down from a millennium or so before, stated that a woman caught in adultery should be stoned. Have you ever been hit by a rock? I remember as a kid getting into clod fights. Dirt clods, as you know, can be pretty hard, and when they strike, they hurt. I took one in the temple once and the first thing I felt was an icy cold. A split-second later the pain exploded. I felt momentarily dizzy, then fear struck -- how bad was I hurt? Well, clods usually break when they land. Rocks don't.
John places this incident in the Temple where Jesus was teaching. The scribes and Pharisees brought this woman accused of adultery. The sentence was death... not by anything as "humane" as lethal injection, but by stoning. Yet, right there, in front of God and everybody, Jesus did something new. "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her," he said (John 8.7). One by one, they dropped their rocks and turned away. When only the terrified, crouching, sobbing woman remained, Jesus spoke again. "Has no one condemned you?" (v. 10). I imagine that the woman, shaking uncontrollably, raised her head and slowly looked around. She was astonished to see no accusers... just a bunch of rocks on the ground.
"Go. And from now on don't sin any more," Jesus said (John 8.11). "Remember not the events of the past," God said through Isaiah (Is. 43.18). "The LORD has done great things for us", sings the psalmist (Ps 126.3). "...forgetting what lies behind," Paul said (Phil. 3.13). Something new will happen. We can hope. And what is that "realization of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"? It's faith (Hebrews 11.1).
Step out in faith this week and expect God to do something new.
Randy Jones
"Those who have no faith say there is nothing new under the sun!"
Next Sunday's readings speak of something new. Now Qoheleth, the writer of Ecclesiastes, laments that "nothing is new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1.9). Well, there may be nothing new under the sun today, but tomorrow isn't here yet.
The readings for this Fifth Sunday of Lent can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/032110c.shtml, and in your Bible in:
Isaiah 43.16-21
Psalm 126.1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Philippians 3.8-14
John 8.1-11
Otherwise, if your church uses the RCIA readings, see the Year A entry for the Fifth Sunday of Lent: http://www.usccb.org/nab/032110a.shtml.
The First Reading finds Isaiah really pumped about what God can do. He can wipe out mighty armies (Is. 43.17). He can make a way through the desert and cause rivers to flow in the wasteland (v. 19). For his people he can make a happy and prosperous life in the midst of desolation (v. 20). Yes, the LORD is doing something new (v. 19 again).
In the Responsorial Psalm, the psalmist as well sings of something new that the LORD has done. He brought back the captives to Zion (Ps. 126.1). This was unheard of in those days. When you conquered a nation, you hauled off the leaders so they couldn't incite rebellion. It was nuts to let them go back. Yet Cyrus did. It was something new that God had a hand in. This was not lost on the Israelites. They were filled with joy (v. 3)!
Paul did something new too, and he tells about it in the Second Reading. "I consider everything a loss" (Phil. 3:8). He gave up all his wealth, status, and power... "I consider them so much rubbish" (v. 8 again). Why? "That I may gain Christ and be found in him" (v. 8-9).
The Gospel Reading shows that Jesus was doing something new in Palestine circa AD 29. The Law of Moses, handed down from a millennium or so before, stated that a woman caught in adultery should be stoned. Have you ever been hit by a rock? I remember as a kid getting into clod fights. Dirt clods, as you know, can be pretty hard, and when they strike, they hurt. I took one in the temple once and the first thing I felt was an icy cold. A split-second later the pain exploded. I felt momentarily dizzy, then fear struck -- how bad was I hurt? Well, clods usually break when they land. Rocks don't.
John places this incident in the Temple where Jesus was teaching. The scribes and Pharisees brought this woman accused of adultery. The sentence was death... not by anything as "humane" as lethal injection, but by stoning. Yet, right there, in front of God and everybody, Jesus did something new. "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her," he said (John 8.7). One by one, they dropped their rocks and turned away. When only the terrified, crouching, sobbing woman remained, Jesus spoke again. "Has no one condemned you?" (v. 10). I imagine that the woman, shaking uncontrollably, raised her head and slowly looked around. She was astonished to see no accusers... just a bunch of rocks on the ground.
"Go. And from now on don't sin any more," Jesus said (John 8.11). "Remember not the events of the past," God said through Isaiah (Is. 43.18). "The LORD has done great things for us", sings the psalmist (Ps 126.3). "...forgetting what lies behind," Paul said (Phil. 3.13). Something new will happen. We can hope. And what is that "realization of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"? It's faith (Hebrews 11.1).
Step out in faith this week and expect God to do something new.
Randy Jones
"Those who have no faith say there is nothing new under the sun!"
Monday, March 8, 2010
RENEWsletter for March 14, 2010 - 4th Lent
Good morning Renewable friends--
It's a good thing we are "renewable", because there are times when we feel worn out, used up, or just tired. If my car felt like I do this week, I'd take it in to see a mechanic. :-)
But... next Sunday's theme is one of renewal, old things passing away, and all things becoming new. Rest, a vacation, a trip to the doctor for some antibiotics, therapy, or even surgery, can make things new again. And someday, we'll "trade in" these old bodies for eternal ones and become really new. Meantime, we greet each new day with renewed hearts because of Christ's great sacrifice in hauling away our old trash in his own body on the Cross.
Again, some churches will go with the RCIA (Year A) readings. But here we'll go with the regular readings for this coming Fourth Sunday of Lent. They can be found on the web: http://www.usccb.org/nab/031410c.shtml and in your Bible at:
Joshua 5.9a, 10-12
Psalm 34.2-3, 4-5, 6-7
2 Corinthians 5.17-21
Luke 15.1-3, 11-32 (verses 4-10 are two other once-lost/now-found parables)
The First Reading takes place after the Israelites have passed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land (Josh 3.17). Moses had gone on to his reward (ch. 1, v. 1). Joshua had the responsibility of leadership now (ch. 5, v. 9). When Passover came, they celebrated by eating of the produce of the land (vs. 10, 11). It was a good time. They got to eat real food for the first time in about 40 years (v. 12). No more manna, no more sand. This new land was flowing with milk and honey! I imagine they felt renewed, and very, very happy.
The Psalmist was definitely happy when he wrote this Sunday's Responsorial Psalm. "Taste and see the goodness of the Lord" (Ps. 34.9). Some of that goodness is expressed in verse 5: "I sought the LORD, who answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." As you know, fear is what triggers the "fight or flight syndrome". When we are afraid, we have one of two reactions: We either get angry and fight it, or we cower and run away... or some variation or combination of those two. But when we are delivered from our fears, we have peace. Peace triggers the "love-hope-joy-trust syndrome" (v. 6). I'll take peace over fear any day.
The Second Reading includes one of my favorite verses, 2 Cor. 5.17, "So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; and look! everything has become new." New food, new tastes of the goodness of the Lord, new absence of fear, new trust, new faith. And how is all this brought about? By God, who did the work of reconciling us to himself through his Son Jesus (v. 19). But you know what? Someone told us about God and the work of reconciliation... Christ's death on the Cross for our sins. Someone was God's ambassador to us. Now, it's our turn to be ambassadors to those around us who haven't heard the Good News in a way they can understand it (v. 20).
We each have a unique story. Yours are all different from mine. And there's someone who will not understand the message of salvation until they hear it the way only I can tell it. And there's someone else that my story will be Greek to, but they'll understand your story. Jesus told lots of stories, and in the Gospel Reading there were those who had trouble understanding him (Luke 15.3). So he told the story of the Prodigal Son (v. 11ff). Which person in that story comes closest to relating to you? The father? The errant son? The faithful brother? When I hear this story, I wait for the part where the servant tells the faithful brother what the ruckus is about (v. 26). That's the one I relate to. He told it like it was: "Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound" (v. 27). Short, succinct, accurate. But it wasn't a story the brother could understand. He got angry (v. 28). That servant went for help: "Master, your faithful son is upset because you're having a party for his brother. You might want to go talk to him, sir."
When we run into a roadblock, we stop, back off, and go get help. But we keep telling our story. Let's try to think of ways this week we can share our story about the goodness of the Lord with those who may be trying to understand.
Randy Jones
"Those who cannot tell their story may not have a story to tell!"
It's a good thing we are "renewable", because there are times when we feel worn out, used up, or just tired. If my car felt like I do this week, I'd take it in to see a mechanic. :-)
But... next Sunday's theme is one of renewal, old things passing away, and all things becoming new. Rest, a vacation, a trip to the doctor for some antibiotics, therapy, or even surgery, can make things new again. And someday, we'll "trade in" these old bodies for eternal ones and become really new. Meantime, we greet each new day with renewed hearts because of Christ's great sacrifice in hauling away our old trash in his own body on the Cross.
Again, some churches will go with the RCIA (Year A) readings. But here we'll go with the regular readings for this coming Fourth Sunday of Lent. They can be found on the web: http://www.usccb.org/nab/031410c.shtml and in your Bible at:
Joshua 5.9a, 10-12
Psalm 34.2-3, 4-5, 6-7
2 Corinthians 5.17-21
Luke 15.1-3, 11-32 (verses 4-10 are two other once-lost/now-found parables)
The First Reading takes place after the Israelites have passed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land (Josh 3.17). Moses had gone on to his reward (ch. 1, v. 1). Joshua had the responsibility of leadership now (ch. 5, v. 9). When Passover came, they celebrated by eating of the produce of the land (vs. 10, 11). It was a good time. They got to eat real food for the first time in about 40 years (v. 12). No more manna, no more sand. This new land was flowing with milk and honey! I imagine they felt renewed, and very, very happy.
The Psalmist was definitely happy when he wrote this Sunday's Responsorial Psalm. "Taste and see the goodness of the Lord" (Ps. 34.9). Some of that goodness is expressed in verse 5: "I sought the LORD, who answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." As you know, fear is what triggers the "fight or flight syndrome". When we are afraid, we have one of two reactions: We either get angry and fight it, or we cower and run away... or some variation or combination of those two. But when we are delivered from our fears, we have peace. Peace triggers the "love-hope-joy-trust syndrome" (v. 6). I'll take peace over fear any day.
The Second Reading includes one of my favorite verses, 2 Cor. 5.17, "So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; and look! everything has become new." New food, new tastes of the goodness of the Lord, new absence of fear, new trust, new faith. And how is all this brought about? By God, who did the work of reconciling us to himself through his Son Jesus (v. 19). But you know what? Someone told us about God and the work of reconciliation... Christ's death on the Cross for our sins. Someone was God's ambassador to us. Now, it's our turn to be ambassadors to those around us who haven't heard the Good News in a way they can understand it (v. 20).
We each have a unique story. Yours are all different from mine. And there's someone who will not understand the message of salvation until they hear it the way only I can tell it. And there's someone else that my story will be Greek to, but they'll understand your story. Jesus told lots of stories, and in the Gospel Reading there were those who had trouble understanding him (Luke 15.3). So he told the story of the Prodigal Son (v. 11ff). Which person in that story comes closest to relating to you? The father? The errant son? The faithful brother? When I hear this story, I wait for the part where the servant tells the faithful brother what the ruckus is about (v. 26). That's the one I relate to. He told it like it was: "Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound" (v. 27). Short, succinct, accurate. But it wasn't a story the brother could understand. He got angry (v. 28). That servant went for help: "Master, your faithful son is upset because you're having a party for his brother. You might want to go talk to him, sir."
When we run into a roadblock, we stop, back off, and go get help. But we keep telling our story. Let's try to think of ways this week we can share our story about the goodness of the Lord with those who may be trying to understand.
Randy Jones
"Those who cannot tell their story may not have a story to tell!"
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