Waiting for the prophet who prophesies peace?

In this Sunday's reading from Jeremiah 28:5-9, the prophet tells us that God's prophet will be the one who prophesies peace which irritated the prophet Hananiah so much that he broke the yoke that Jeremiah had been carrying (I added those verses 10 and 11 for your benefit),
 

 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; and the prophet Jeremiah said, ‘Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfil the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.’

 10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, and broke it.

 11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: This is how I will break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.’ At this, the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

The preacher of non-violence is often met with violence himself. Look at what happened to Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. in the last century.

And one must not forget what happened to the Prince of Peace, Jesus .

It seems to me that it is easier to get people caught up into a cycle of violence than to get them to stand up for peace, especially if that peace is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It also seems that we will never learn.

I came across the following from the Patheos pages,

The injustice and suffering in Palestine two thousand years ago was certainly no less than the suffering in our world today. The revolutionary prescriptions of our time for the overcoming of such injustice and suffering are likewise not always so different from those proposed then. The idea that the present-day situation has become intolerable, so that revolutionary violence has become justified, even necessary, was widespread then as now – and it was not the most wicked who were proclaiming this idea. Those who justify violence today do not see that they are starting a vicious circle from which they can scarcely escape, and which – as is shown by the history of revolutions in Palestine in the time of Jesus and in Europe during the past two hundred years – will either corrupt them through abuse of their new-found power or, if they seek to preserve their ‘humanity,’ drive them into opposition and finally liquidate them as alleged ‘counter-revolutionaries.’ In the midst of an outwardly hopeless situation, Jesus taught his group of followers how to break out of this vicious circle; until the age of Constantine, the early church adhered unflinchingly to this refusal to use violence. It is part of the critical power of the gospel that this summons to freedom – which also means freedom from the inner law of violence – is still heard today, is in fact once again being heard more clearly. … Reflection on the message of Jesus against the background of the unimaginable brutality and injustice of his age could help us today better to understand the gospel, that is, Jesus’ summons to freedom, and to act accordingly.

Martin Hengel, Victory over Violence (London: SPCK, 1975), 83-85. 

H/T Michael Bird

You might be a progressive Christian if...

Over at A Grain of Sand, Campbell posts five things which identify a "progressive" Christian.

1. You might be a progressive Christian if you say: ‘The Bible contains the Word of God’
2. You might be a progressive Christian if you say: ‘I can’t believe Jesus would . . .’
3. You might be a progressive Christian if you say: ‘The resurrection of Jesus doesn’t need to be physical to speak truth to us.’
4. You might be a progressive Christian if you say: ‘God is love, He wouldn’t punish sinners throughout eternity.’
5. You might be a progressive Christian if you say: ‘We don’t need to speak about the gospel, we just need to show it in our lives by our care for others.’

Campbell discusses his reasoning behind each of these "might be's", but I challenge you to figure them out without peeking at his web site.

I know there are a whole lot of things that can be added to his list, but the ones he has chosen are pretty typical of what you will hear not only from progressive Christians but also from unbelievers as well.

It behooves us to know how to respond to those who have fallen for such ideas.

Dire Times Predicted

This Sunday's reading is from Matthew 10:24-39 in which Jesus gives some dire predictions for what the future holds for his disciples,

‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! ‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. 

‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.  

‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.  

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 

Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

When your own family rejects you because of the Christian faith, do not lose heart. Instead, pray that they will someday see the light, and keep proclaiming it from the rooftops!

Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina Bishop Andrew Waldo to Retire

I received the news via e-mail that Bishop Waldo of Upper South Carolina is planning to retire in 2021. As you read his letter, remember that the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina (EDUSC) lost 20% of its average Sunday attendance dropping from 8,300 to 6,500 during his tenure (statistics are from 2009-2018 from the Episcopal Parochial Report).  If there are any clues in his letter as to why his time as Bishop has been such a disaster, I can find only a couple that he admits to, or should I say, boasts about, and those are same-sex blessings/marriage, and having one of the highest percentages of women in charge of congregations in the Episcopal Church.

I can only speculate, but my guess is that the next Bishop of Upper South Carolina will be someone who promises to build on Waldo's "legacy".

Oh well, read it and weep,

“For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

6 June 2020

"Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Throughout the seasons of history, a great cloud of witnesses is filled with faithful women, men, and children who have met times similar to our own with steadfastness and persistence. St. Paul knew his own biggest challenge to bring the good news of God in Christ Jesus to the nations would take several lifetimes. 'I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth,' he wrote to the church in Corinth. Our work as disciples is constantly one of 'some planting and others tending,' as we put to use our many gifts in the one Spirit for the good of all.

Early in 2019, I began discussions with my family, some of my bishop colleagues, and the Presiding Bishop about a horizon for me to request the support of the Standing Committee to call for the election of the Ninth Bishop of Upper South Carolina.

This day, I have asked for and received the Standing Committee’s consent to call for the election of the ninth Bishop of Upper South Carolina at a special Convention on Saturday, 25 September, 2021. My resignation as your Bishop will take effect on 31 December 2021, about 19 months from now. This date was set late last fall in consultation with the Presiding Bishop’s office, and the decision to announce at today’s Diocesan Executive Committee meeting was made this past February, in consultation with the Rev. Stephen Rhoades, President of the Standing Committee.

In this season of my own family’s life, I am called to make time for my children and grandchildren in ways we have not previously been able, and while my health is excellent. Later this month, I will celebrate 32 years of ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church, which followed nine years in a vocation as a performing musician and teacher. The next season in my family’s life is approaching. Following the timeline established by the Standing Committee, the Nominating Committee for the Ninth Bishop of Upper South Carolina, once called, will have the task of discerning whom God is persuading to serve his Church in this capacity, in this place, for the next season of your common life—who will lead you in following God’s call.

In the coming months, we will have ample opportunity to reflect on the important work have we have done together in God’s gracious hands. We have learned much about how to be in deeper dialogue on difficult issues, like same-sex blessings/marriage and racial reconciliation. We have built relationships to support public education through parish-school partnerships and advocacy. We have worked to create and live into norms of transparency and mature discipleship across the Diocese. We have changed the face of the college of clergy within the Diocese, now having one of the highest percentages of women in charge of congregations in the Episcopal Church.

We have learned much about being the Church during this pandemic, and yet we are just getting started in understanding—and are just now planting seeds for—a Church that will emerge energized, newly skilled in technology, freshly longing for in-person relationships, and even more deeply centered in and grounded upon the love of God in Christ Jesus.

We are continuing to work on strengthening youth and campus/young adult ministry and leadership development, and to create a stronger, more flexible and higher capacity camping and retreat ministry at Gravatt Camp and Conference Center.

Most of you have heard me speak or preach or tell stories about events and people who shaped my passion and understanding around issues of race and reconciliation—stories from my childhood in Alabama and ever since. Today’s conflicts around racial justice are urgent signs of the critical work we still have to do—addressing injustice, economic inequality, education inequity, and discrimination. Polarized politics and pandemic have only accentuated the importance and difficulty of this work to which God calls us, and yet we have much more work in learning how to grow in Christian maturity during a time of conflict and alienation. Indeed, disciples of Jesus—across time—have strived to embrace and live Jesus’ words, 'Love one another, as I have loved you.'

Our Centennial Campaign: From Generation to Generation in the Church, with its goals to renew the Episcopal Church Home at York Place, Gravatt Camp & Conference Center, and Canterbury Campus Ministries is still underway, even though we recognize it will take longer than planned. Each goal will play an important healing and restorative role in the life of this Diocese for many years to come.

In other words, we remain a Church focused on making, equipping and sending mature disciples. This is and continues to be our vocation, our call from God.

We have plenty of time in the months ahead to engage this work, and for the whole diocesan community to imagine who you will be, and where you will go when you turn the next episcopal bend in the river. In the meantime, I intend to remain fully engaged, excited about our shared work as fellow travelers and laborers in God’s mission.

In 2009, when I was still a nominee for Bishop, I traveled here from Minnesota for the November 'walkabouts'—the all-day Q&A sessions in Columbia and Greenville with people from across the Diocese—with an uncertain heart about my call to be here. I had heard that, even in the midst of theological turmoil in the Church, this was a Diocese that simply wanted to stay together. At the walkabouts, many of you articulated that deep desire over and over again, in one way or another. Your love and care for one another, your commitment to the good news of God in Christ, and your passion for ministry was palpable. By this point, I was listening. Awakened. Persuaded that, should I be elected, we could—for a season—serve God together in gladness and devotion. And we have. These continue to be some of the most inspiring, fruitfully challenging, and spiritually rich years of my life.

In gratitude, love and hope, I remain faithfully yours,


The Rt. Rev. W. Andrew Waldo
The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina"

Marching Orders

For all those who want to go out and march for a cause, this Sunday's reading from Matthew 9:35-10:23 (remembered in conjunction with last week's reading of The Great Commission) should give everyone pause to reconsider their motives.

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town.‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

All of man's protestations fall flat if we are not first and foremost out there protesting to a deaf and hostile world that Jesus is Lord and Savior of all.

Social Distancing Shuts Down HIV Hotspot

From San Francisco comes this news that reminds us that the recent pandemic may result in some good after all, 

"According to a press release sent out late Wednesday by Honey Mahognay, The Stud (399 9th Street in SoMa), SF’s oldest Gay Bar dating back to 1966 is shutting down. 

The bar is the country’s only cooperatively owned LGBT venue and has been in operation for 54 years. The Stud was originally located on Folsom where Holy Cow is now. In 1987 the bar moved to 9th Street where it’s been for 33 years. 

Because of a lack of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic and an uncertain future operating at 25% or 50% capacity under anticipated social distancing rules, the historic bar announced that they are permanently closing their location and will be holding a drag funeral to honor the end of an era of LGBT nightlife. 

But this isn’t the end (we hope) for The Stud. The owners have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help them in their search for a new venue so they can regroup for the next year or so. And, when the time is right, drag themselves back to become a beacon again for queer nightlife at their soon-to-be third location in San Francisco."

It is a well known fact that the early Gay bars were hotbeds of HIV transmission at the beginning of that epidemic, so don't shed any tears for the demise of The Stud.

Oh Trinity We Sing To Thee!

Today is Trinity Sunday, and many a preacher will stumble through an explanation of the relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Lord knows what the revisionist priest will have to come up with as he/she/it tries to make everything gender neutral or as the feminist priest emasculates the Trinity. It seems that those who struggle most with it are the same ones who cannot appreciate the saving miracle of the Trinity enough to sing its praises.

As a child attending Trinity Episcopal Grammar School, the following was our Alma Mater,

"O Trinity we sing to thee, our love and praises hear and see. Be with us now and always give the strength we need to grow and live. O guide us well and make us free to honor and remember thee."

I cannot praise my old school or its sponsoring church anymore for they have strayed too far from the truth they once claimed to own, but the words of my Alma Mater remain a fitting praise for the Holy Trinity.

No need to sermonize any further.

Longing For Peace?

Yesterday was a beautiful day in my part of  South Carolina. I was relaxing on my screen porch. swinging in my hammock, watching the daytime moon rise over the distant shore, and listening to the wind and the birds in the trees, when a feeling of peace came upon me. I was thankful to God for allowing me this moment of peace, a peace that many have not been able to experience this week as riots rolled through many of our cities every night.

In times of unrest, it seems that the voices that incite violence will always drown out (especially on our television screens) the voices of moderation, deliberation, and peace.

As our preacher pointed out during his Sunday sermon, those who are the angriest, those who incite violence, and those who get caught up and perpetrate crimes rather than engaging in peaceful protests, are in desperate need of Jesus.

When those who do put their trust in the Lord are hurt, angry, mistreated, or feeling downtrodden, we find comfort not in violence, but in the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 4-7 

The strength of a wronged people is not demonstrated by torching police cars or by looting innocent shop keepers. A nation's rue strength is shown when its people humble themselves, when they get on their knees, and pray together in the name of the risen Lord, Jesus Christ, for peace, and when they go out and teach the way of Jesus to those in our society who do not appear to know Him.

We have quite a struggle ahead of us.