Pentecost: Red Mask Day

This Sunday marks Pentecost. People like to wear red on this day, and I am anxious to see how many are wearing red masks as we listen to Acts 2:1-21.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’ 

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 

“In the last days it will be, God declares,that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,   and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,and your young men shall see visions,   and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women,   in those days I will pour out my Spirit;     and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above   and signs on the earth below,     blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness   and the moon to blood,     before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

 That is an amazing story, but it doesn't make me want to join a modern Pentecostal church. I just  think that most of the time when people start "speaking in tongues" it is not a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, but instead a manifestation of emotional over excitement.

The Holy Spirit is not something we can conjure up when we want it to act. Identifying works of the Holy Spirit requires the work of serious Bible study, reflection, and prayer with the help of fellow Christians. 

Greenville County School District Graduation Prayer Ban Goes Too Far

Graduations took place the past couple of weeks for the majority of our schools. There were numerous variations of social distancing, but Greenville County, SC schools seem to have gone to far.

This came in an e-mail from Palmetto Family, 

You may have read on social media over the week that the Greenville County School district informed their employees about a Federal Court order instructing them to neither pray nor give the appearance of praying or showing respect for prayer during any graduation ceremony.

“The court order states that all school district employees who attend a high school graduation as part of his or her official duties may not participate in any student-led prayer by, for example, standing or bowing his or her head.”

This is all the result of a years long legal battle started by a parent and the "Humanist Society" over prayer at a graduation.

In times of trouble, prayer would appear to be especially important, except to humanists. The rest of us are crying out to God to forgive us and to save us. Not the humanists. They would drag everyone else down to Hell with them. 

If ever there was a need for public prayer, now is the time. 

To deny a person's right to pray is what I would expect from a totalitarian government like what we are seeing in China these days.

Details that sometimes get lost

This Sunday's reading from Acts 1:6-14 contains the story of the Ascension, and that will probably be the focus of most sermons today. I would like you to read the little details contained in the second paragraph. One of the things I enjoy most about Luke's narrative is the way he includes these little pictures of life after Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension.

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

A "sabbath day's journey" is one detail that most of us are not familiar with. Never fear, the Oxford Biblical Studies Online page will help, 

A Jew was permitted to travel 2,000 cubits on the Sabbath (Exod. 16: 29 and Num. 35: 5), about 1.2 km. (¾ mile), and the Mount of Olives was within this distance from Jerusalem (Acts 1: 12).

Also we see "certain women" as well as Mary praying with the men. 

But the reference to Jesus' "brothers" causes consternation to those who hold to the Roman Catholic dogma of the perpetual virginity of Mary. Of course this is not the only reference to Jesus' siblings that they have to deal with.

 “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS” (Matthew 1:24–25)

 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46–50) 

This event is also described in Mark 3:32–35 and Luke 8:19–21

“Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:55–56)

“Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. (Mark 6:3)

And Paul wrote, 

“But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:19).

 How did we ever miss those details? Blame the writer of "The Protevangelium of James" which was not included in the Bible for obvious reasons, 

19. ...And the midwife cried out, and said: This is a great day to me, because I have seen this strange sight. And the midwife went forth out of the cave, and Salome met her. And she said to her: Salome, Salome, I have a strange sight to relate to thee: a virgin has brought forth -- a thing which her nature admits not of. Then said Salome: As the Lord my God liveth, unless I thrust in my finger, and search the parts, I will not believe that a virgin has brought forth.

20. And the midwife went in, and said to Mary: Show thyself; for no small controversy has arisen about thee. And Salome put in her finger, and cried out, and said: Woe is me for mine iniquity and mine unbelief, because I have tempted the living God; and, behold, my hand is dropping off as if burned with fire.

Not exactly what you wanted to read on Sunday morning eh? 

Yeah, the Devil is in the details.

 

Jesus Has Me Covered, But I Still Wear a Mask

While the world looks for a vaccine and treatments for the current pandemic, some of us are using masks and social distancing to stay safe, but these are really just band-aids which may buy us a little more time while researchers look for solutions to our problem. Of course humanity has a lot more problems, most of which will not be cured by vaccines or medications. Man does not live by medications alone. In order to live well we must have faith in something greater than ourselves. 

For me, faith in Jesus as my Lord and savior is more than just a band-aid used to get over the cuts and scrapes of daily existence, and Jesus is not a patch which gets peeled off and discarded after I feel better.  

Christians should fear neither nothing in this life, nor should we fear our inevitable death, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be rooting for the researchers who are seeking vaccines and cures for the corona virus, and just because we live in Faith, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to protect ourselves and others by masking up and keeping our distance. 

What Were Those Commandments Anyway?

This Sunday's reading is from John 14:15-21, and all too often I have listened to a sermon in which the focus is on the "Spirit of truth", and I have been left wondering where Jesus' commandments went.

‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’

I think the danger in ignoring Jesus' commandments is that we can be misled by other spirits like the Spirit of the Age, the Spirit of "my truth", or the Devil himself into believing that we are following the Holy Spirit. 

So what where those commandments anyway? 

To love God with all your heart, mind, and soul.

To love your neighbor as yourself.

And everything that flows from that.

I think that means that if I am doing something that endangers my soul, I should appreciate it if my neighbor lovingly tries to correct me. 

And that also means that I might hear something that modern people don't seem to want to hear.

I might feel offended.

I might even call my neighbor a "hater" and shame him on social media.

Those commandments cause such difficulty.

That's probably why most revisionist sermons will probably continue to ignore the commandments referenced in John 14 and focus on something that can be more easily bent to the preacher's and his or her congregation's will like  "a more nebulous Spirit of truth".  In this day and age, when the prevailing teaching is that there is no universal objective truth, and you hear someone ignore the objective commandments, beware of any claims that they preach to the "truths".

 

Masks and the Church

As we prepare to resume worship services this week, with masks being required in our small parish, I am undecided about which mask to wear. My N-95 masks will be stuffy, but they are probably the most effective. The church will have some masks that the church ladies sewed sitting by the door, so I guess that if my N-95 got too uncomfortable, I could get up and switch to one of those. 

I can't wait to see if people who choose our church made masks pick ones that go with their outfits. 

The Exclusive Jesus?

In this Sunday's reading from John 14:1-14, Jesus shoots holes in the "all streams lead to the same ocean" theology.

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’

 Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

These are strong words, "Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" 

There are streams that deny Jesus as Lord. Those streams take you not to the ocean but instead lead to the desert of despair. 

The argument that I have heard against the exclusivity seen in John 14:1-14 is that the writer of the Gospel of John put these words into Jesus' mouth. If one follows that argument, one might as well reject the whole New Testament and not just the parts one disagrees with because the same argument could be applied throughout.

I have always hoped that after we die, all will have the opportunity to recognize Jesus and to follow him, but I worry that some will continue to deny him and be lost forever. 

And I Was hoping Pride Parades Would Go Away.

Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. 

Pride parades celebrate sin.

I hoped Pride parades would go away during the coronavirus pandemic.

But no, they are moving to a more dangerous place: the internet.

From the Denver Post,

Don’t you dare put those Pride flags away just yet.
The Center on Colfax said Denver’s annual PrideFest is still on for June 20 and 21 — parade, 5K, DJ parties and all — despite the coronavirus outbreak. But this year, it’ll be online.
“Instead we will work on creating a virtual Pride Event including the 5k, marketplace, and parade. A more full plan is expected in the coming weeks. We will reach out to those that have paid for pride booth’s and the parade to discuss the new plans and impacts with those companies and individuals.”
Parade: Parade floats will submit “fun-filled” videos that The Center will live stream. And don’t worry, the stream will still include lively commentary from queens and the like. 

5K: You won’t get the same colorful community of runners and spectators in front of the Capitol, but you still may see rainbows in the streets. Participants will run a 5K nearby their homes and submit their times independently. The Center will send commemorative t-shirts. 

Dance parties: DJs from clubs around Denver will host parties via Twitch. Unfortunately, you will have to provide your own Vodka Red Bulls. 

Drag shows and other main stage entertainment: Performers who were already scheduled will shift their shows online. 

Showing your pride: The Center is encouraging people to decorate their homes and apartment balconies. Share your photos online to spread Pride. 

Exhibitors and job fair: The Center will set up an online marketplace so you can check out the various “booths.” There will also be an online job board for people to find LGBTQ-friendly employment opportunities. 

Rally and other events: The Center said details on the rally and other Pride events are still to come. You can find the latest updates on The Center’s website.

Who is the gatekeeper?

This Sunday's Gospel reading is from John 10:1-10 in which Jesus uses a "figure of speech" to make a point.

‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ 

Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 

So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

So Jesus is shepherd and gate, but who is the gatekeeper?