Well said

I'm sharing this editorial from Huffington Post Gay Voices, because it well encapsulates my thoughts on judgments I've felt from well-meaning Christians.  Also, I appreciate his observations about Biblical literalism.  I strongly believe that Scripture is the Inspired Word of God, but I don't believe that we always understand His Word.

Huff Post editorial by Mikah Meyer

What do you think?

Do we still speak in tongues?

Matthew 10:16-22 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
²⁰ For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.  (Authorized Version/KJV) [emphasis mine]

The verses above stuck out to me from today's Morning Prayer readings for the Feast of St. James of Jerusalem.  They were even more striking to me because I was reading them en español, a language wherein I have only a basic ability and very limited vocabulary.

"Let the dead bury their dead"?

Luke 9:57-62 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. ⁵⁸ And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.  ⁵⁹ And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. ⁶⁰ Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. ⁶¹ And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. ⁶² And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.  (Authorized Version/KJV) [emphasis mine]

While today's Gospel reading includes one of my favorite verses of scripture (v58), it also contains one I have always found troubling:  "Let the dead bury their dead." (v60).

Weary with well-doing?

2 Thessalonians 3:13  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
(Authorized Version/KJV)

I had to look this verse up today.  It has been running through my mind quite a bit lately.  What with dragging myself out of bed every morning to officiate the Daily Office of Morning Prayer, volunteering at Reagan Elementary School and with Workers Defense Project, choir rehearsal, Altar Guild duties, organizing volunteers for Christ Church's participation and sponsorship of the Old Oak Cliff Fall Home Tour, etc., etc., etc.;  I am having some difficulty following St. Paul's injunction not to be weary in well doing.

"We have seen strange things today."

Luke 5:26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day. (Authorized Version/KJV) [emphasis mine]

This was the last verse of the Gospel lesson for today's Morning Prayer service.  As the Gospel lesson is always the last reading, this made the words "We have seen strange things today" the last words of scripture read aloud before approaching God with our petitions and thanksgivings (i.e. prayer).

Missional Outreach

Christ Church is currently in the midst of a major paradigm shift.  As Reggie McNeal describes in his book MISSIONAL RENAISSANCE: Changing the Scorecard for the CHURCH, this shift is a change in the traditional understanding of who the Church is and what Christ calls us to do and be.

Was Manna to the ancient Israelites what Holy Communion is to us today?

This essay was originally published on Facebook before I created the Via Media blog.

While praying through the office of Morning Prayer (Matins) today, I was struck by this idea while reading today's appointed Old Testament reading, Exodus 16:10-21.  I first started pondering this idea at v.14 "And when the dew that lay was gone up*(a), behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost*(b) on the ground."  (Authorized / King James Version)  [*(a) or evaporated; *(b) I had to look "hoar" up on Wiktionary.org, because I was so curious what it meant:  'Dew-drops which have undergone deposition and frozen into ice crystals to form a white deposit on an exposed surface.']

"A small round thing" could also easily describe the communion host [wafer] used in most churches; although based on the description of manna being like the frost-crystals, it must have been even smaller than the average host.  The New International Version describes manna as "thin flakes like frost".  Hosts too are "thin flakes".  So, in appearance, I believe there are similarities between one of the elements of Communion and manna.  But let's go further.