Cut out all that circumcision talk!

That's exactly what the Revised Common Lectionary editors did to today's reading, Romans 4:1-5,13-17. I have included the missing verses highlighted in red below.

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.

6 So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness irrespective of works:

7 ‘Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,

   and whose sins are covered;

8 blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.’

9 Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, ‘Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.’ 10 How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, 12 and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

I guess the lectionary editors wanted to avoid any squirming in the pews during the reading of Paul's letter.  

Canadian Parliamentary committee recommends physician assisted suicide for children

Now, this is evil:

From Care, 

A committee of Canada's parliament has called for the country's assisted suicide and euthanasia programme to be extended to "mature minors".

A report by the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) suggests children whose deaths are "reasonably forseeable" should be eligible.

The report also recommended that parental consent is not always necessary in certain cases where a child is considered eligible for a doctor-assisted death.

No parental consent! Pure evil. 

It calls for the Government of Canada to "establish a requirement that, where appropriate, the parents or guardians of a mature minor be consulted in the course of the assessment process for MAID"

But it adds that "the will of a minor who is found to have the requisite decision-making capacity" in the eyes of the state should "ultimately take priority".

In the eyes of the State? What is that supposed to mean?  

Canadian MPs objected to the proposal to expand MAID eligibility to children, highlighting how decision-making capacities, even for mature young people, remain questionable.

Citing Dr. Maria Alisha Montes, a clinical associate professor of pediatrics, the report states: "I would argue that MAID for mature minors carries the highest amount of risk, as the consequence is death."

"We need to ask ourselves if we should be legalizing this for mature minors when biology shows us that the ability to balance risks and rewards is one of the last areas of the brain to mature", she added.

This proposal is indicative of the decline in Christian morality in Canada.

I wonder when this will spread to the U.S.A.. 

Happy Lent!

The Psalm for this Sunday is number 32, Beati quorum, and it is appropriate for the first Sunday in Lent, and it begins by wishing us a happy Lent.

1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *

and whose sin is put away!

2 Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, *

and in whose spirit there is no guile!

3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *

because of my groaning all day long.

4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *

my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *

and did not conceal my guilt.

6 I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." *

Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin

7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in

time of trouble; *

when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.

8 You are my hiding-place;

you preserve me from trouble; *

you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

9 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you

should go; *

I will guide you with my eye.

10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *

who must be fitted with bit and bridle,

or else they will not stay near you."

11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *

but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.

12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; *

shout for joy, all who are true of heart.

Be glad and be happy this Lent for your sins have been forgiven and look forward to Good Friday for without the cross there is no crown.

Why the ashes brother?

After Fat Tuesday's blowout at Pewster Manor we will be headed to to church tomorrow at noon for the imposition of ashes. I did meet a few people last night who were clueless as to the reasons we do this. I wish I were as eloquent as some in explaining things, and I wish I had the following for them.    

This comes from the Rev. Matt Kennedy and is reposted in its entirety,

"Some of my reformed friends annually bemoan the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday, as if it were;

1. merely some Roman Catholic custom unthinkingly adopted and 

2. an outward show of piety by which Christians seek to win approval from men (contra Matthew 6, which, not accidentally, is read during the service). 

My friends, I think, miss the point. The purpose for the imposition of ashes is so that we might publicly proclaim, not our piety, but rather our worthiness for condemnation. We publicly say: I am a sinner, worthy of death. Ashes are hardly a mark of spiritual pride. If used rightly, the ashes undermine the public view of Christianity, that it is a religion of moral improvement. The ashes say 'no.' The Church is an assembly of the would-be damned who have been rescued by Christ and his work on the cross alone. The ashes say, we have no hope but the cross. 

Of course every ceremonial act even in the most liturgically low congregation can be misused and abused, but the tendency among my reformed brethren is to discard the entire rite on account of its misuse. This is folly. And, moreover, it's difficult to think of a better way to invite our unbelieving friends and neighbors to inquire about the gospel. 

What is that black smudge on your forehead...? The ash means I am a sinner. The cross reminds me that God sent his only Son to save sinners.

Reposted on Shrove Tuesday several years running now."

 

The Transfiguration

 This Sunday's reading from Matthew 17:1-9 recalls an amazing event.

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Why Moses and Elijah?

This from Christianity.com,

"Moses represents the law and all those who died before Christ's Incarnation. Elijah represents the prophets, and since he did not experience death, all those who are alive in Christ. Their presence shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the Old Testament."

 

False Teaching at Duke Divinity School?

From Fox News,

A course offered by Duke Divinity School is exploring "queer theology," and whether "theology can be queered." 

The course, "From Baptismal Font to Queer Theology," "examines and excavates 'queer' in relationship to theology and theory." 

Offered by the Durham, North Carolina-based school, the course description asks questions such as, "Is queer driven by identity politics, an umbrella term for sexual identity, gender identity, antinormativity politics, social locations, or is queer descriptive of something entirely different?"

Other questions to be examined include, "Does queer have an agenda? Secondly, this course seeks to answer the question of whether or not theology can be queered? What would that result, if that is something that is possible? What is queer theology? Is queer theology even possible?"

According to the course page, students will "develop strategies for asking questions in a way that broadens the discussion of queerness and theology for a productive intervention in the discipline of constructive theology seeking to hold faithfully to the intersecting realities of church, tradition, and scripture."

The school's website says, "Grounded in Christian Scripture and theology and guided by our desire to embody a faithful witness in a changing world, we seek to cultivate innovative approaches to ministry in its many forms."

The course was flagged in an article by Campus Reform.

Other questions to be examined in the course include, "Does queer have an agenda? Secondly, this course seeks to answer the question of whether or not theology can be queered?" 

The school adds that it strives for a theological vision "that is neither narrow nor homogeneous, but one that is deeply rooted in critical engagement with Scripture and honors a range of theological traditions in conversation with a plurality of historical, geographic, and social settings."

Another offered course is called "Queering the Old Testament" which explores "ways to interpret the Old Testament that acknowledge the diversity of gender expressions and honor the experiences and hermeneutical perspectives of sexual minorities and gender-nonconforming individuals."

Fox News Digital reached out to a representative of the school for comment. 

Those pesky commandments

 This Sunday's reading from Matthew 5:13-20 includes three separate statements,

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

I've heard entire sermons on the salt of the earth. Revisionists focus on restoration of its savor whereas faithful preachers do not fail to discuss the consequences of  being on longer good for anything.

 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

That one is obvious. The next one is the kicker, 

 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

 Keeping those commandments is so tough that we need a Savior. 

Thanks be to God that we have One.