More Missing Verses During Advent

This Sunday, the prophet Isaiah gets muzzled by the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) editors. Most churches will hear Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11 omitting verses 5-7. I present the whole Psalm with the expurgated verses highlighted in red. Once again, I have a theory as to why they got the ax.

1 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

   because the Lord has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,

   to bind up the broken-hearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

   and release to the prisoners;

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,

   and the day of vengeance of our God;

   to comfort all who mourn;

3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion—

   to give them a garland instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

   the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

   the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

4 They shall build up the ancient ruins,

   they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

   the devastations of many generations.

5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,

   foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines;

6 but you shall be called priests of the Lord,

   you shall be named ministers of our God;

you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations,

   and in their riches you shall glory.

7 Because your shame was double,

   and dishonour was proclaimed as your lot,

therefore you shall possess a double portion;

   everlasting joy shall be yours.

8 For I the Lord love justice,

   I hate robbery and wrongdoing (Or robbery with a burnt offering)

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

   and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations,

   and their offspring among the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge

   that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,

   my whole being shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

   he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

   and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,

   and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

   to spring up before all the nations.

The "troublesome" verses hint at a future subjugation of foreigners by the Israelites and monetary compensation for what had been stolen from the people of Israel. 

Now, these verses are only troublesome to revisionists.

So, guess what kind of priest is in charge of what gets heard by Sunday pewsitters in a church that follows the RCL? 

Beating the Lockdown: The Pub Church

You may have read about the Staten Island bar owner who tried to beat the lockdown by proclaiming his establishment an "autonomous zone". In England, a couple of pubs thought outside the box and are trying to avoid being shut down by becoming churches.

"A Leicestershire pub has applied to become a church in an attempt to beat the Tier 3 Covid restrictions and stay open for business. The New Baron of Hinckley has said it would be renamed as 'The Church of New Baron' and would offer 'confession rooms' staffed by the owner, Nirad Solanki.

He told the Leicester Mercury that he was simply 'trying to think outside the box' and keep his punters coming together in the community.

'If churches and synagogues can open, why not do this?

On Facebook, the pub played on its prospective conversion to a religious premises. 'Bless you my children!' they wrote. 'Who's joining us for some Holy Ale and Niri Chicken!!!'"

"...This isn't the first time that a hospitality venue has attempted to convert to a church in order to beat the new regulations. A Nottingham tequila bar called 'The 400 Rabbits' is trying to do the same thing, by issuing a formal application to become 'The Church of 400 Rabbits'."

These new "churches" had better start publishing some creeds or other statements of doctrine if they hope to have a chance to gain the system. 

 

Missing Verses From an Advent Psalm

 This Sunday, Churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary will read Psalm 85:1-2,8-13 while ACNA churches get to read the whole thing. I have highlighted in red the verses that get left out in most Episcopal parishes. Feel free to speculate as to why those verses go unheard ( I have made it clear in the past my opinions on missing verses).

Benedixisti, Domine

1 You have been gracious to your land, O Lord, *

you have restored the good fortune of Jacob.

2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people *

and blotted out all their sins.

3 You have withdrawn all your fury *

and turned yourself from your wrathful indignation.

4 Restore us then, O God our Savior; *

let your anger depart from us.

5 Will you be displeased with us for ever? *

will you prolong your anger from age to age?

6 Will you not give us life again, *

that your people may rejoice in you?

7 Show us your mercy, O Lord, *

and grant us your salvation.

8 I will listen to what the Lord God is saying, *

for he is speaking peace to his faithful people

and to those who turn their hearts to him.

9 Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him, *

that his glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth have met together; *

righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, *

and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

12 The Lord will indeed grant prosperity, *

and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness shall go before him, *

and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.

Burial in a Seed Pod?

In case you were wondering what your family should do with your body after you die, here is something that reminds me of a scene out of "The Wicker Man" where the policeman looking into a missing person report on an island full of pagans is told that her body has become a tree.

From the Journal of Soil Science and Plant Health,

"Capsula Mundi. Life never stops." 

"Capsula Mundi is a cultural and broad-based project, which envisions a different approach to the way we think about death. It's an egg-shaped pod, an ancient and perfect form, made of biodegradable material, where our departed loved ones are placed for burial. Ashes will be held in small egg-shaped biodegradable urns while bodies will be laid down in a fetal position in larger pods. The Capsula will then be buried as a seed in the earth. A tree, chosen in life by the deceased, will be planted on top of it and serve as a memorial for the departed and as a legacy for posterity and the future of our planet. Family and friends will continue to care for the tree as it grows. Cemeteries will acquire a new look and, instead of the cold grey landscape we see today, they will grow into vibrant woodlands."

The next time I have to cut down a tree, I might have to think about who I might be cutting. 
 

The Gathering of the Elect

This Sunday's reading is Mark 13:24-37, in which Jesus foretells his coming again and the gathering of the elect.

‘But in those days, after that suffering,

the sun will be darkened,

 and the moon will not give its light,

 and the stars will be falling from heaven,

 and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

 ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’

Jesus' words about the sun, moon, and stars pay tribute to several Old Testament books (from Knowing Jesus), 

Isaiah 13:10

For the stars of heaven and their constellations

Will not flash forth their light;

The sun will be dark when it rises

And the moon will not shed its light.

Job 9:7

Who commands the sun not to shine,

And sets a seal upon the stars;

Job 3:9

“Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;

Let it wait for light but have none,

And let it not see the breaking dawn;

Joel 2:10

Before them the earth quakes,

The heavens tremble,

The sun and the moon grow dark

And the stars lose their brightness.

Amos 8:9

“It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord God,

“That I will make the sun go down at noon

And make the earth dark in broad daylight.

Ecclesiastes 12:2

before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;

Ezekiel 32:7

“And when I extinguish you,

I will cover the heavens and darken their stars;

I will cover the sun with a cloud

And the moon will not give its light.

Joel 3:15

The sun and moon grow dark

And the stars lose their brightness.

I doubt that any of my readers think that Jesus will return in our lifetimes. Most of us believe that we will die at some point, and that then and only then will we meet Jesus. 

Jesus tells us to be prepared for he may return at any time, just like we may meet our end unexpectedly. 

He also warns us not to listen to people who claim to know the day that He will return.

Thanksgiving 2020: Different Thanks to Give

 For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving Day means turkey dinner with family. I have missed a few over the years due to professional obligations, but was always able to enjoy leftovers the next day. For the past several years Pewsterspouse and I have made the 5 hour drive to the in-laws' house where we gathered with family members numbering up to fourteen. This year we are dutifully following the directions of the Centers for Disease Control and staying home. We have invited our neighbor to dine with us on the screen porch. There is one problem with this arrangement...

Scaling down the food is not something we are doing.

This year I am thankful that the Lord helped me to lost ten pounds over the summer.

 

Jesus Preached Hell Fire and Damnation Long Before the Stereotypical Modern Day Street Preacher

I once watched as a pewsitter stood up in the middle of a revisionist priest's sermon and said, "You are wrong!" before walking out of the church, never to return. What did that priest say that so upset my friend? Well it was this, 

"We Episcopalians don't believe in a literal devil." 

 I think this Sunday's Gospel reading was the subject of our revisionist priest's sermon,

Matthew 25:31-46

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' 

Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 

for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Jesus believed in the devil, hell fire, and damnation.

Some people don't.

How can they call themselves Christians if they don't believe Jesus?