Lent

Jesus, “Not my will but…”

This post, like the previous one on Paul last week, is part of my larger devotional study Characters of God. This was presented this past Sunday, Palm Sunday. Characters of God is primarily about the flawed nature of biblical figures, how we can relate to and what we can learn from them. In this case, Jesus is not flawed, so the question is, how do we fulfill Paul’s call for us to be like Christ, if we are patently not without sin.

Jesus

How do we reflect Christ?

Phil. 2.1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6          who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,

7          but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,

8                      he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.

9          Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,

10         so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11         and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

The New Testament presents us with two very different views of Jesus. The Gospels provide us with the history of his life including his teachings, healings, miracles, death and resurrection. The epistles or letters that form the majority of the remainder of the NT describe the risen Lord in terms that are often highly theological and spiritual. For example, we find in the Letter to the Hebrews the following description of Jesus as the High Priest who actively petitions God in heaven on our behalf.

Heb. 4.14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

When I read passages like this I am reminded just how far I am from being “Christ-like.” Even if I am ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church, no one will mistake me for being a “great high priest!” And while I have been tempted and tested I have not come through without sin. Jesus has and this is the heart of the Gospel message of which Lent is such a vital reminder, that he became a man, suffered, died for our sins, and now makes intercession for us before the throne of God.

One of the themes we have discovered this month is that when each of these figures encountered God their lives were dramatically changed as they allowed themselves to be brought into submission to his will. But now we have come to Christ himself. How does meeting with God bring about a change in Jesus’ life? He is God, so how does he “encounter” God?

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Zealous much? Paul, Character of God

Apr 11th, 2011

by Christian Brady.

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Dining with St. Paul - A lovely salad plate to go with your Spode.

I have mentioned before, three years ago, in fact, that I am working on a devotional book called “Characters of God.” This Lent I led our Adult Forum class (sounds vaguely naughty when I write that out) at our church through several of these chapters. This past Sunday was Paul and I don’t believe that I have ever shared it on this site. Keep in mind this was originally written to be read aloud at a silent retreat (oxymoronic, I know, but if you have ever been on one you know the drill, leader reads a meditation, you go off and meditate). There is much that I would rewrite today, but I thought I would simply post it as is. I hope it is useful during the Lenten season.

Acts 7.54 When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. 55 But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died. 1 And Saul approved of their killing him.

That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.

Acts 22.3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. 4 I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me.”

Gal. 1.13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles….

Rom. 10.1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened.

We do not know very much about Paul before he was confronted by Christ on the road to Damascus. What we do know is contained in these few passages.[1] As “Saul” he was a man devoted to “the traditions of my ancestors” and he used all his power in order to stamp out heresy and to keep heterodox views of Judaism from spreading. This included jailing people and perhaps even having them put to death. (Note the phrase “I persecuted this Way up to the point of death” [Acts 22.4], which might suggest that he did not actually seek their execution, but that may simply be a reflection of the fact that the Jews did not have the authority to execute anyone during Roman times.)

Saul’s zeal took him to great extremes and the consequences were dire for those whom he opposed. We can all think of various moments in history, sadly including present day situations, where an individual’s or group’s commitment to their ideology and theology led them to commit atrocities. And it is easy for us to condemn such actions. We hear frequently within our own church about those who are encouraging hatred of others under the guise of defending orthodoxy and our minds swirl with images of Galileo and Cranmer. But is zeal always bad? That is a much harder question to ask.

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Lenten Poetry: Facing It

Apr 3rd, 2011

by Christian Brady.

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This morning an MFA graduate student led our class and led us through several poems relating to Lent. I did not realize this would our class and it is coincidental that I have been considering writing some poetry (and wrote some doggerel as a student, but have not tried anything lately). I am inspired, but I am not sure if it is to write yet. One I found particularly moving is “Facing It” by Daniel Berrigan. I thought I would share it.

FACING IT

Who could declare your death, standing
obedient as Stylites, empty as death’s head
moving gently as the world’s
majestic sun into light?

It was as hollow death; men
dread it like plague. Thieves die this way,
charlatan, rejects. A good man’s thought recoils;
his best years, aspiration, children

beckon a different road. To grow old yes,
gently one day to stop breathing, home and faces
drifting out of mind. Abrupt violence even
he can countenance, a quick mercy on disease.

but not this. The mother’s face
knotted, mottled with horror.
A vision,
a few men destroyed.

It is always like this; time’s cruel harrowing,
furies at the reins of fortune
wild horses dragging
the heroic dishonored body on time’s ground.

O for an act of God! we cry, before death utterly
reduce to dust
that countenance, that grace and beauty.

I had several and many thoughts about this poem. This Lent several people close to me or close to people I know have died, brining home the reality of our mortality in an uncomfortably direct way. I just heard, an hour ago, that my friend and colleague Brian Hesse, just succumbed to a pulmonary problem. He was director of our Jewish Studies program and when I was ordained into the priesthood sent me a very generous gift for vestments.

As Berrigan says, “A good man’s thought recoils; his best years, aspiration, children beckon a different road. To grow old yes…” I travel a lot in my role as dean and with young children I find myself always considering the consequences of my passing. Not that I was keen to die before we had children, I think I would always struggle to say with Paul, “to die is gain” though I strive so that “to live is Christ.” As I was traveling this past week I was listening to a Radio Lab podcast on mortality. The final piece is particularly jarring, though it is a story of a man dying at the age of 92, after a long and healthy life.

This is Lent, a time that begins with remembering our mortality and that we are but dust and ends with the death of the Christ. It is sadly fitting then to be considering and contemplating death.

And yet, I am afraid that we (and by we, I mean “I”) spend our Lent reflecting on our physical mortality when I believe that we are actually to be concerned with the death of sin and our sinful ways. It is a bit of a cop-out to simply consider what limited time I have on This Earth without considering why I am here and how I should be living the life that God has given me. I will get on the plane this Friday because I need to continue living and doing (and this particular case, I am traveling to go and bring comfort to those who grieve). The death on the cross brought about the death of sin and while it confirmed what we all knew, this flesh is but dust, the resurrection affirmed the whispered rumor, that we will live again. How then shall I live?

Comic: The Temptations

Mar 20th, 2011

by Christian Brady.

1 comment

Of Jesus, not the musical group.

An Episcopal priest and graphic artist Earnest Graham has begun work on Matthew and has posted Matthew 4:1-11. The images are free for use in ministry, check ‘em all out.

via Look Both Ways: Life at the Crossroads of Art and Faith: Bible Comic: Matthew 4:1-11, The Temptations.

The Discipline of Lent

Feb 17th, 2010

by Christian Brady.

1 comment

Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This is season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.

This is the invitation to the Ash Wednesday service and to Lent as found in the Book of Common Prayer. Each year I do try to follow this invitation and it is an age-old tradition to “give up” something for Lent as part of self-denial.¹ Stereotypically you will hear of folks giving up alcohol or chocolate. Since I do not really consume either they have never been a challenge for me to give up. One year, as a family, we gave up red meat, but I now no longer eat very much red meat either so that is not a challenge, or discipline so…

If you read my blog with any frequency you know that I enjoy reading comics. In fact, I scan through well over 200 a day. This isn’t as much as you might think (it only takes 20-30 minutes a day) but it is a luxury, a pleasure. When I was a child I enjoyed reading comics each night before bed and when I was in college I enjoyed coming home to stacks of comics my father had saved for me. When we moved to England for grad school I realized how much I missed the distraction. And then came the internets. Now I read comics almost exclusively online, sometimes during my lunch hour, but mostly in the evening as a way to unwind at bedtime.

But giving up of something is only part of the invitation. We are also called to read and meditate on God’s holy word. My goal this Lent is to not read comics on a daily basis (Sundays only) and replace that time with the reading and study of scripture. ESV has a very nice “Through the Bible” reading program (many different ones, in fact) and I am already behind. I will endeavor to get caught up and maintain a steady diet of more edifying literature this Lent.

This example may seem frivolous to you, but I can assure you I will notice it far more than giving up sweets. But I also think it illustrates the nature of the discipline we are called to during Lent. It reminds me that we are not called to stop doing something we should not be doing in the first place (deciding to give up cheating on your spouse, gossiping, or robbing don’t qualify as a Lenten discipline, forgoing such vices comes under Christian discipline) rather it is the task of changing our schedule, doing without something that we enjoy and take for granted and focus those energies and thoughts into devotion to God, prayer, study and meditation on God’s word.

Pray for me as I pray for you. And may this Lent be a blessing for us all.