Fascinating....
LONDON -- A secret, coded diary kept by one of Methodism's founding fathers for 20 years has been deciphered by an Anglican priest in Britain, illuminating historical efforts to keep Methodists in the Church of England.
The task of decoding Charles Wesley's handwritten 1,000-page journal took the Rev. Kenneth Newport of Liverpool Hope University nine years, he told journalists.
Wesley's brother, John, founded Methodism. Charles was a prolific hymn writer whose works include "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."
Newport said that Wesley's complicated writing omitted vowels and abbreviated consonants in a style ascribed typical of a gentleman and preacher of the 1700s.
Wesley's journal begins with his trip to America in 1736. It offers an insight into Wesley's determination to prevent the Methodist Societies from breaking away from the Church of England, according to the Times of London.
It also detailed "disagreements with his more influential brother" John over whether the movement should break with the Church of England.
The two volumes that Newport has translated make up what has been described as the first complete transcription of the text.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Why Believe in God?
Looking at my bookshelf I see no less than eight books with titles such as The God Delusion, God and Religion, The Atheists Bible, God is not Great, The Varities of Religious Experience, and the Portable Atheist. With the exception of a couple, most of these titles were published in the past few years. Back in in Georgia, I would visit Borders books every week. In the beginning I noticed that a few books on antheism would be placed in the religion section, but not many. But it wasn't long before Atheism had its very own section.
I'm not sure the official structures of the church have done a great job explaining at the most basic level - why should a person believe in God? Because we in the church have not done a great job, others are asking that question on behalf of the church and their conclusions are not the same. This topic interests me on many levels, but perhaps the most important one is that this topic is a hot one.
Why should we believe in (a) God?
The first night of our Rekindle the Gift Wednesday's will focus on that very question. We'll look at the common (and increasingly popular) reasons given for NOT believing in God. We'll look at classical philosphoical proofs of God's existence, and of course, we'll share our own thoughts and experiences.
Wednesday, September 3 - 8:15am or 6:30pm - Rekindle the Gift - Why Believe in God?
I'm not sure the official structures of the church have done a great job explaining at the most basic level - why should a person believe in God? Because we in the church have not done a great job, others are asking that question on behalf of the church and their conclusions are not the same. This topic interests me on many levels, but perhaps the most important one is that this topic is a hot one.
Why should we believe in (a) God?
The first night of our Rekindle the Gift Wednesday's will focus on that very question. We'll look at the common (and increasingly popular) reasons given for NOT believing in God. We'll look at classical philosphoical proofs of God's existence, and of course, we'll share our own thoughts and experiences.
Wednesday, September 3 - 8:15am or 6:30pm - Rekindle the Gift - Why Believe in God?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Angel Sightings?
Take a look for yourself at this page on beliefnet.com. Celestial or not - they're neat.Have you ever seen something...angelic?
Monday, August 25, 2008
Prayers for School
On behalf of everyone at St Timothy's Episcopal Church, our prayers are with and for the family of Matt Gfeller, the young Reynolds High School student who lost his life this weekend.
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon them.
_____________________
Yesterday's Sermon:
I’m glad I don’t have to go to school tomorrow, aren’t you? Oh, I’m sorry, there’s a significant portion of folks here who DO have to go to school tomorrow. I know because I can see it in your faces! All the stress and anxiety and angst. And I can see it in your parents’ faces too! All the joy and freedom and happiness. But even though I wish you well tomorrow and later we’ll ask for God’s blessing on your new school year, I’m glad I’m not going tomorrow.
I’ve already spent 20 years of my life in school. That’s 20 years of homework, tests, and trying to impress the brunette sitting beside me. I plan to go back to school some more and have more homework and more tests and Cherilyn has said I can’t flirt with any brunettes, but for right now, I’m glad I done.
No more pop quizzes, projects, homework, extra-credit, or being sent to detention. No more two-a-day football practices or late-night cram sessions for a test I waited to the last minute to study for.
But that’s not really telling the truth. Because everyone here who has already finished school will agree that there are always pop quizzes, projects, homework, extra-credit and the threat of going to detention. There will always be long practices and late-night cram sessions for tests we waited to the last minute to study for. At least in high school you have a mascot.
I say all of this because today Jesus gives his disciples perhaps the first pop quiz in all of the bible. As they were walking into the cosmopolitan seacoast town of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus stops class and tells his disciples to pull out their pencils.
This is a two question test, Jesus basically says.
Question number one: Who do people say the Son of Man is?
Now first of all, I think that is a trick question. That would make me chew on my eraser for a minute because Jesus used that enigmatic phrase ‘Son of Man.’ And I don’t like trick questions. But his disciples respond quickly to that one.
John the Baptist, one disciple said. Elijah, another answered. And the others said Jeremiah or one of the prophets. I guess that wasn’t too hard of a question. All Jesus did was ask his disciples what other people thought.
I actually like those kinds of questions. It’s not that hard to explain both sides of an argument. It’s purely academic – which makes sense seeing as this was an academic exercise. If we had a pop quiz right now and asked the same question and you pulled those little pencils out of the pews we could all answer.
Who do people say Jesus is?
Well some say he is a great teacher, a prophet even. Most everyone believes that the person Jesus lived in the first century and he started a movement. Most everyone believes that he died from the Roman form of crucifixion.
And there are others who say that he was the Son of God, in fact he WAS God. Some say that he rose from the dead destroying death and sin, and ascended into heaven and all of this – his life, death, resurrection, and ascension – saves us from the power of sin and death, too.
But like all tests, like all pop quizzes, the second question is harder:
Now that you’ve told me what everyone else thinks, now that you have given me an academic explanation as to the diversity of opinion – tell me what you think. Who do YOU say that I am?
When Jesus asked the first question, many, maybe all of the disciples answered. John the Baptist! Elijah! Jeremiah! One of the prophets! But with the second question, we don’t hear a chorus – we only hear a solo.
Simon Peter raises his hand and says “You are the Messiah, or the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
And the teacher smiled.
But do you realize what that meant for Peter to say that? If Jesus was like John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or any of the other prophets, he would have been a great teacher, his words would have been full of wisdom and the disciples would have been wise to listen to him and learn from him.
But to say that Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of the Living God, was to say something completely different.
Peter was saying that Jesus was the Revelation of God, he was the image of God. And if Jesus is the image, the revelation of God, then Peter’s life should be completely and totally oriented by the life and message of Jesus.
How should Peter live? By following the pattern of Jesus. How should Peter deal with other people? The same way that Jesus dealt with people. How should Peter handle hardship, suffering, horrible news? In the same way that Jesus handled it.
When Peter said Jesus is the Christ – he confessed that Jesus is his Lord.
But do you know what happened immediately after Jesus praised Peter? Do you know what happened immediately after Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter and called him the Rock (Peter means Rock) and declared that the church will be built on him and that he will have the keys to the kingdom of heaven?
Four verses later, Jesus basically calls Peter the devil. Four verses after Peter aced the pop quiz and correctly identified Jesus as the Son of God, he pulls Jesus aside and starts telling him what to say and how to act.
It’s easier to answer correctly than to live correctly, isn’t it?
That’s the thing about Peter. Look at his life. He takes a leap of faith to walk out to Jesus on the water and falls. He confesses that Jesus is the Christ and then he acts like the devil. He fights to defend Jesus and even cuts off someone’s ear in the process, but when the question came if Peter knew Jesus, he denied him three times.
But of all the disciples, I’m glad Jesus looked at Peter and called him the rock. Because of all the disciples Peter is the one that I can relate to the best. There are times when I feel as if I’m so close to God it’s hard to explain, and then there are times when I do things, when I say things, when I think things…that are hard to explain.
I think that’s why Jesus called Peter the rock – because we all can see ourselves in him. We can see the process of faith – high one minute and rock, there’s that word again, rock bottom the next. Jesus called Peter the son of Jonah – do you remember Jonah from the Old Testament? He was the one that ran from God and spent three days in the belly of a fish and was spit out before he did what God called him to do.
But even on a rock as shaky as Peter, even on rocks as shaky as the flawed souls in this room, the Church stands strong. And if that’s not evidence of God’s grace, I don’t know what is.
Even though most of us aren’t going to school tomorrow, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t daily faced with homework, projects and pop quizzes. That doesn’t mean we don’t need our backpacks blessed!
Who does the world say Jesus is? That one is easy.
But who do we say Jesus is?
If he’s just a prophet or good teacher, then his words are valuable and we should listen.
But if he is the Son of the Living God, he is the Revelation and Image of God. If Jesus is the Christ, and that is our confession, then like Peter our lives should be completely and totally oriented around him.
How do we live? We pattern our lives after Jesus. How do we deal with people day in and day out? We remember how Jesus dealt with people? How do we deal with hardship, pain, suffering, and terrible news? We carry our cross with Jesus.
By saying Jesus is the Christ, we are saying that he is the stick by which all things are measured, he is the plumb line – he is the standard.
Who is Jesus of Nazareth to us?
That is the most important question we will ever have to answer in our lives.
And this one is not just academic.
Amen.
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon them.
_____________________
Yesterday's Sermon:
I’m glad I don’t have to go to school tomorrow, aren’t you? Oh, I’m sorry, there’s a significant portion of folks here who DO have to go to school tomorrow. I know because I can see it in your faces! All the stress and anxiety and angst. And I can see it in your parents’ faces too! All the joy and freedom and happiness. But even though I wish you well tomorrow and later we’ll ask for God’s blessing on your new school year, I’m glad I’m not going tomorrow.
I’ve already spent 20 years of my life in school. That’s 20 years of homework, tests, and trying to impress the brunette sitting beside me. I plan to go back to school some more and have more homework and more tests and Cherilyn has said I can’t flirt with any brunettes, but for right now, I’m glad I done.
No more pop quizzes, projects, homework, extra-credit, or being sent to detention. No more two-a-day football practices or late-night cram sessions for a test I waited to the last minute to study for.
But that’s not really telling the truth. Because everyone here who has already finished school will agree that there are always pop quizzes, projects, homework, extra-credit and the threat of going to detention. There will always be long practices and late-night cram sessions for tests we waited to the last minute to study for. At least in high school you have a mascot.
I say all of this because today Jesus gives his disciples perhaps the first pop quiz in all of the bible. As they were walking into the cosmopolitan seacoast town of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus stops class and tells his disciples to pull out their pencils.
This is a two question test, Jesus basically says.
Question number one: Who do people say the Son of Man is?
Now first of all, I think that is a trick question. That would make me chew on my eraser for a minute because Jesus used that enigmatic phrase ‘Son of Man.’ And I don’t like trick questions. But his disciples respond quickly to that one.
John the Baptist, one disciple said. Elijah, another answered. And the others said Jeremiah or one of the prophets. I guess that wasn’t too hard of a question. All Jesus did was ask his disciples what other people thought.
I actually like those kinds of questions. It’s not that hard to explain both sides of an argument. It’s purely academic – which makes sense seeing as this was an academic exercise. If we had a pop quiz right now and asked the same question and you pulled those little pencils out of the pews we could all answer.
Who do people say Jesus is?
Well some say he is a great teacher, a prophet even. Most everyone believes that the person Jesus lived in the first century and he started a movement. Most everyone believes that he died from the Roman form of crucifixion.
And there are others who say that he was the Son of God, in fact he WAS God. Some say that he rose from the dead destroying death and sin, and ascended into heaven and all of this – his life, death, resurrection, and ascension – saves us from the power of sin and death, too.
But like all tests, like all pop quizzes, the second question is harder:
Now that you’ve told me what everyone else thinks, now that you have given me an academic explanation as to the diversity of opinion – tell me what you think. Who do YOU say that I am?
When Jesus asked the first question, many, maybe all of the disciples answered. John the Baptist! Elijah! Jeremiah! One of the prophets! But with the second question, we don’t hear a chorus – we only hear a solo.
Simon Peter raises his hand and says “You are the Messiah, or the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
And the teacher smiled.
But do you realize what that meant for Peter to say that? If Jesus was like John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or any of the other prophets, he would have been a great teacher, his words would have been full of wisdom and the disciples would have been wise to listen to him and learn from him.
But to say that Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of the Living God, was to say something completely different.
Peter was saying that Jesus was the Revelation of God, he was the image of God. And if Jesus is the image, the revelation of God, then Peter’s life should be completely and totally oriented by the life and message of Jesus.
How should Peter live? By following the pattern of Jesus. How should Peter deal with other people? The same way that Jesus dealt with people. How should Peter handle hardship, suffering, horrible news? In the same way that Jesus handled it.
When Peter said Jesus is the Christ – he confessed that Jesus is his Lord.
But do you know what happened immediately after Jesus praised Peter? Do you know what happened immediately after Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter and called him the Rock (Peter means Rock) and declared that the church will be built on him and that he will have the keys to the kingdom of heaven?
Four verses later, Jesus basically calls Peter the devil. Four verses after Peter aced the pop quiz and correctly identified Jesus as the Son of God, he pulls Jesus aside and starts telling him what to say and how to act.
It’s easier to answer correctly than to live correctly, isn’t it?
That’s the thing about Peter. Look at his life. He takes a leap of faith to walk out to Jesus on the water and falls. He confesses that Jesus is the Christ and then he acts like the devil. He fights to defend Jesus and even cuts off someone’s ear in the process, but when the question came if Peter knew Jesus, he denied him three times.
But of all the disciples, I’m glad Jesus looked at Peter and called him the rock. Because of all the disciples Peter is the one that I can relate to the best. There are times when I feel as if I’m so close to God it’s hard to explain, and then there are times when I do things, when I say things, when I think things…that are hard to explain.
I think that’s why Jesus called Peter the rock – because we all can see ourselves in him. We can see the process of faith – high one minute and rock, there’s that word again, rock bottom the next. Jesus called Peter the son of Jonah – do you remember Jonah from the Old Testament? He was the one that ran from God and spent three days in the belly of a fish and was spit out before he did what God called him to do.
But even on a rock as shaky as Peter, even on rocks as shaky as the flawed souls in this room, the Church stands strong. And if that’s not evidence of God’s grace, I don’t know what is.
Even though most of us aren’t going to school tomorrow, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t daily faced with homework, projects and pop quizzes. That doesn’t mean we don’t need our backpacks blessed!
Who does the world say Jesus is? That one is easy.
But who do we say Jesus is?
If he’s just a prophet or good teacher, then his words are valuable and we should listen.
But if he is the Son of the Living God, he is the Revelation and Image of God. If Jesus is the Christ, and that is our confession, then like Peter our lives should be completely and totally oriented around him.
How do we live? We pattern our lives after Jesus. How do we deal with people day in and day out? We remember how Jesus dealt with people? How do we deal with hardship, pain, suffering, and terrible news? We carry our cross with Jesus.
By saying Jesus is the Christ, we are saying that he is the stick by which all things are measured, he is the plumb line – he is the standard.
Who is Jesus of Nazareth to us?
That is the most important question we will ever have to answer in our lives.
And this one is not just academic.
Amen.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The Book of Needs
Saturday I visited Archangel Michael Books, an Orthodox bookstore. I have long appreciated the liturgy, theology, and pastoral aura of Orthodox Christianity. While perusing for nothing at the store I came across a four volume set of The Book of Needs (I bought two volumes). The title alone was enough for me to pick it up and look inside. The contents of the four volumes (over 2,000 pages) contained liturgy after liturgy for just about every service you can think of. Blessing of the vineyard? Got it. Exorcism? It's there. Prayers for when impure thoughts come during sleep. Six pages. Even the blessing of a car - great for 16 year olds.
I love the title, The Book of Needs. Every single day we seek to meet our needs. And every single day the Church is present to help us. The Episcopal Church, while not have a four volume set does have equally wonderful resources in helping us meet our daily needs. The Book of Occasional Services has liturgies ranging from the Blessing of Homes to the Blessing of a Pregnant Woman to the anniversary of marriage. We also use other books from Church tradition (including the Book of Needs!).
The Church is not just for Sundays and for baptisms, weddings, and funerals. The Church is for every day and for all people. Christ has redeemed us and he has redeemed all of us. The Church, through centuries of pastoral practice, has found ways to meet us at every turn, and at every need.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Sunday's Sermon
There are so many things to love about the Episcopal Church. And as someone who was born a Cradle Episcopalian but held hostage by Methodist parents, I find myself loving the things that make us who we are more and more.
I love the fact that when I say, “The Lord be with you,” you will say “and also with you!” Do you realize that we are praying for each other and we are blessing each other when we do that? May God be with you now and always. And may God be with you now and always.
I love it!
And I love the fact that we read the Bible in church. We read a lot of the Bible. If you come to church every Sunday for three years, you will have heard the majority of the Bible read. Every Sunday we hear from the Hebrew Scriptures (or the Old Testament). We sing a portion of the psalms. We hear from one of the Epistles in the New Testament, and with great ceremony and reverence, we hear from one of the Gospels.
Not only do we get to hear from all parts of the Bible – but it keeps the preacher honest. I guess technically I could preach on any text from the Bible, but it would only make sense if I preached from one of the readings that we read in church.
And that’s not always easy. You see, if it were up to me, I would probably only preach from two or three different readings each week. I might throw a few more in there, but it wouldn’t be long before you noticed a theme. If it were up to me, I’d pitch a tent in the letters of John and stay a while.
Especially in John’s 1st letter where he says that we should love one another, because love comes from God – in fact, God is love. I love that passage. And because I love it, I think I would favor it. I would bring it back each week.
Or I would stay around in the 18th chapter of Matthew where Jesus tells his disciples that if you disagree with someone, don’t gossip or engage in passive-aggressive behavior. If you have disagreement, if you are at odds with someone, go to them. Talk to them face to face. Be an adult. Deal with it. If that doesn’t work, then take someone with you so they can be a witness. If that doesn’t work, then bring it before the church. Let’s work it out!
There is so much conflict in our lives, at home, at school, at work, and in the church – that I think I would favor that passage.
Which means I would never go to the 15 chapter in Matthew. Or in the 7th chapter of Mark – they both tell the same story. But in the Episcopal Church, we have the lectionary – the assigned readings for today. And as much as I do not like it – I have to turn to the 15th chapter in Matthew.
The problem with the 15th chapter of Matthew is that it puts me in a position that I am not comfortable being in. You see, in this chapter, Jesus does something that is, how do I say it, very un-Christ-like. Jesus says something that frankly, doesn’t sound like Jesus.
After Jesus finished talking with the scribes and Pharisees, he went with his disciples to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Basically he went to modern day Lebanon. A Canaanite woman from that region came out to Jesus and was screaming and shouting, “Have mercy on me – my daughter is tormented by a demon!”
And Jesus ignores her. That’s the first thing that Jesus does that is hard to explain. In the chapters before Jesus heals people, he has compassion on them, he even goes out of this way to visit them in their homes, but when this woman, comes out and pleads with him – he just keeps on walking.
The woman apparently doesn’t stop when Jesus ignores her because the disciples now start urging Jesus to send her away. “She keeps screaming,” they say.
Then Jesus does the second thing that is hard to explain – he tells the disciples and maybe even the woman, that he was only sent for the lost sheep of Israel. In other words, he was sent to be with the Jews – and not the Gentiles, and certainly not the Canaanites. But that goes completely against some other things Jesus has said – not to mention the famous John 3:16 – that God so loved the world that he sent his only son and whoever – WHOEVER – believes in him will be saved.
Jesus keeps on walking.
Now the woman comes up and kneels before Jesus and says to him, “Lord, help me.”
And Jesus does it again: It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to dogs.” That’s exactly what he said. He compared the Canaanite woman to a dog.
Now the Jews did not like the Canaanites – they had a long history of not liking each other. Remember when God showed Moses the Promised Land way back in the Old Testament? Remember when Joshua led the Hebrews into the Promised Land? The Promised Land was not empty – it was not vacant waiting on the Hebrews to move in. The Canaanites were there. And not only were the Canaanites in the land that God had promised the Hebrews, but they were polytheistic and the rumor was they would even sacrifice their children to their gods.
So on one hand, it wasn’t uncommon for a Jew to call a Canaanite a dog – but Jesus? It’s hard for me to swallow Jesus using a racial slur. Especially when St Paul says that in Christ, in Jesus there is not male nor female, Jew nor Greek, slave nor free. But that’s what he said.
And the woman is still there – still arguing – still pleading with Jesus – “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
And that did it. I bet he even smiled when he said “your faith is great – your daughter is healed.”
Doesn’t sound like Jesus, does it? A woman comes to Jesus – the Prince of Peace – and begs for him to heal her daughter. He ignores her, and then says that he is only here for certain people and when she keeps bugging him he calls her a dog, and after she finally persists – he grants her request.
Either we don’t know Jesus as well as we thought we did or we don’t know ourselves as well as Jesus knows us.
Thursday night I had a conversation with an old friend. The details of that conversation aren’t important except that they are identical to thousands of conversations we’ve all had at one time or another – either with other people or conversations we’ve had with ourselves.
Something has happened. Something has happened in our lives that didn’t see coming. That we can’t control – we can’t fix, and now we are left holding a new hand of cards that life has dealt us and we have no idea how to play it.
Maybe we prayed. But nothing happened. Maybe we even went to church once or talked to the priest, but the situation stayed the same. So after trying to reach out to God and give everything to God, nothing happens. God either doesn’t care, is angry, or doesn’t exist.
It’s as if we are pleading with God but he just walks on by. We plead some more and we feel as if God said he’s more interested in other people. We plead even more and God asks us who we think we are. Sometimes it may seem that way.
But the woman at Christ’s feet kept on. That is the gift of the Canaanite woman. That is her gift to us – for even though she was a woman, she was the mother of a possessed child, and she was from a group of people that had long been at odds with the Jews – she persisted. She knew the odds were stacked against her, she knew the hand that life had dealt her was not a winning hand – but she did not stop.
The gift of the Canaanite woman to us is that she was convinced there was hope in her desperate situation. She was convinced there was grace. She was convinced of the truth contained in my favorite passage in 1st John that God is love.
It’s not that God plays with us, or toys with us. God is not racist, sexist, or mean. Sometimes we need to ask to right questions. Sometimes we need to have the right perspective. And God in his great mercy and love will sometimes challenge us to look at the world and to look at our problems differently to look for hope and to look for grace and to look for love even when it may seem as if there is none.
Because God knows us. God knows us better than we know ourselves. And if God knows us better than we know ourselves – God knows what we need, what we are looking for, and what hurts.
And if God is love, then God will not ignore us or insult us. God will help us see the world and our role in this world from a greater, better perspective. God will show us the hope, grace, and love that is in every situation and every person.
And even though we don’t always have it – God will help us be patient. God will grant us the strength to persevere. God will smile and reward our faith.
If it feels as if God does not care or does not hear us – let us not give up. Don’t leave.
If it feels as if there is no hope, no grace, nor love in our lives or situations – let us keep looking. Don’t leave.
We have to be present. We have to be present with God. That is the gift of the Canaanite woman. Amen.
I love the fact that when I say, “The Lord be with you,” you will say “and also with you!” Do you realize that we are praying for each other and we are blessing each other when we do that? May God be with you now and always. And may God be with you now and always.
I love it!
And I love the fact that we read the Bible in church. We read a lot of the Bible. If you come to church every Sunday for three years, you will have heard the majority of the Bible read. Every Sunday we hear from the Hebrew Scriptures (or the Old Testament). We sing a portion of the psalms. We hear from one of the Epistles in the New Testament, and with great ceremony and reverence, we hear from one of the Gospels.
Not only do we get to hear from all parts of the Bible – but it keeps the preacher honest. I guess technically I could preach on any text from the Bible, but it would only make sense if I preached from one of the readings that we read in church.
And that’s not always easy. You see, if it were up to me, I would probably only preach from two or three different readings each week. I might throw a few more in there, but it wouldn’t be long before you noticed a theme. If it were up to me, I’d pitch a tent in the letters of John and stay a while.
Especially in John’s 1st letter where he says that we should love one another, because love comes from God – in fact, God is love. I love that passage. And because I love it, I think I would favor it. I would bring it back each week.
Or I would stay around in the 18th chapter of Matthew where Jesus tells his disciples that if you disagree with someone, don’t gossip or engage in passive-aggressive behavior. If you have disagreement, if you are at odds with someone, go to them. Talk to them face to face. Be an adult. Deal with it. If that doesn’t work, then take someone with you so they can be a witness. If that doesn’t work, then bring it before the church. Let’s work it out!
There is so much conflict in our lives, at home, at school, at work, and in the church – that I think I would favor that passage.
Which means I would never go to the 15 chapter in Matthew. Or in the 7th chapter of Mark – they both tell the same story. But in the Episcopal Church, we have the lectionary – the assigned readings for today. And as much as I do not like it – I have to turn to the 15th chapter in Matthew.
The problem with the 15th chapter of Matthew is that it puts me in a position that I am not comfortable being in. You see, in this chapter, Jesus does something that is, how do I say it, very un-Christ-like. Jesus says something that frankly, doesn’t sound like Jesus.
After Jesus finished talking with the scribes and Pharisees, he went with his disciples to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Basically he went to modern day Lebanon. A Canaanite woman from that region came out to Jesus and was screaming and shouting, “Have mercy on me – my daughter is tormented by a demon!”
And Jesus ignores her. That’s the first thing that Jesus does that is hard to explain. In the chapters before Jesus heals people, he has compassion on them, he even goes out of this way to visit them in their homes, but when this woman, comes out and pleads with him – he just keeps on walking.
The woman apparently doesn’t stop when Jesus ignores her because the disciples now start urging Jesus to send her away. “She keeps screaming,” they say.
Then Jesus does the second thing that is hard to explain – he tells the disciples and maybe even the woman, that he was only sent for the lost sheep of Israel. In other words, he was sent to be with the Jews – and not the Gentiles, and certainly not the Canaanites. But that goes completely against some other things Jesus has said – not to mention the famous John 3:16 – that God so loved the world that he sent his only son and whoever – WHOEVER – believes in him will be saved.
Jesus keeps on walking.
Now the woman comes up and kneels before Jesus and says to him, “Lord, help me.”
And Jesus does it again: It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to dogs.” That’s exactly what he said. He compared the Canaanite woman to a dog.
Now the Jews did not like the Canaanites – they had a long history of not liking each other. Remember when God showed Moses the Promised Land way back in the Old Testament? Remember when Joshua led the Hebrews into the Promised Land? The Promised Land was not empty – it was not vacant waiting on the Hebrews to move in. The Canaanites were there. And not only were the Canaanites in the land that God had promised the Hebrews, but they were polytheistic and the rumor was they would even sacrifice their children to their gods.
So on one hand, it wasn’t uncommon for a Jew to call a Canaanite a dog – but Jesus? It’s hard for me to swallow Jesus using a racial slur. Especially when St Paul says that in Christ, in Jesus there is not male nor female, Jew nor Greek, slave nor free. But that’s what he said.
And the woman is still there – still arguing – still pleading with Jesus – “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
And that did it. I bet he even smiled when he said “your faith is great – your daughter is healed.”
Doesn’t sound like Jesus, does it? A woman comes to Jesus – the Prince of Peace – and begs for him to heal her daughter. He ignores her, and then says that he is only here for certain people and when she keeps bugging him he calls her a dog, and after she finally persists – he grants her request.
Either we don’t know Jesus as well as we thought we did or we don’t know ourselves as well as Jesus knows us.
Thursday night I had a conversation with an old friend. The details of that conversation aren’t important except that they are identical to thousands of conversations we’ve all had at one time or another – either with other people or conversations we’ve had with ourselves.
Something has happened. Something has happened in our lives that didn’t see coming. That we can’t control – we can’t fix, and now we are left holding a new hand of cards that life has dealt us and we have no idea how to play it.
Maybe we prayed. But nothing happened. Maybe we even went to church once or talked to the priest, but the situation stayed the same. So after trying to reach out to God and give everything to God, nothing happens. God either doesn’t care, is angry, or doesn’t exist.
It’s as if we are pleading with God but he just walks on by. We plead some more and we feel as if God said he’s more interested in other people. We plead even more and God asks us who we think we are. Sometimes it may seem that way.
But the woman at Christ’s feet kept on. That is the gift of the Canaanite woman. That is her gift to us – for even though she was a woman, she was the mother of a possessed child, and she was from a group of people that had long been at odds with the Jews – she persisted. She knew the odds were stacked against her, she knew the hand that life had dealt her was not a winning hand – but she did not stop.
The gift of the Canaanite woman to us is that she was convinced there was hope in her desperate situation. She was convinced there was grace. She was convinced of the truth contained in my favorite passage in 1st John that God is love.
It’s not that God plays with us, or toys with us. God is not racist, sexist, or mean. Sometimes we need to ask to right questions. Sometimes we need to have the right perspective. And God in his great mercy and love will sometimes challenge us to look at the world and to look at our problems differently to look for hope and to look for grace and to look for love even when it may seem as if there is none.
Because God knows us. God knows us better than we know ourselves. And if God knows us better than we know ourselves – God knows what we need, what we are looking for, and what hurts.
And if God is love, then God will not ignore us or insult us. God will help us see the world and our role in this world from a greater, better perspective. God will show us the hope, grace, and love that is in every situation and every person.
And even though we don’t always have it – God will help us be patient. God will grant us the strength to persevere. God will smile and reward our faith.
If it feels as if God does not care or does not hear us – let us not give up. Don’t leave.
If it feels as if there is no hope, no grace, nor love in our lives or situations – let us keep looking. Don’t leave.
We have to be present. We have to be present with God. That is the gift of the Canaanite woman. Amen.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Church Rejects Lottery Tithe
ORANGE PARK, FL -- After Robert Powell hit the Florida Lottery jackpot last month and took home more than $6 million, he thought of his church.
And he offered to drop his tithe, around $600,000, in the collection plate of First Baptist Orange Park.
But the church and Pastor David Tarkington politely declined and told Powell they will not accept the lottery winnings.
Many churches do not approve of the lottery and gambling but on the other hand Pastor Dr. Lorenzo Hall of the El-Beth-El Divine Holiness Church says $600,000 can do a lot of good.
"I'm against the lottery, but if one of my members won the lottery, I wish and I hope he would give 10% to the church, we could do a lot of things with that money," says Hall.
Read more here.
What do you think?
And he offered to drop his tithe, around $600,000, in the collection plate of First Baptist Orange Park.
But the church and Pastor David Tarkington politely declined and told Powell they will not accept the lottery winnings.
Many churches do not approve of the lottery and gambling but on the other hand Pastor Dr. Lorenzo Hall of the El-Beth-El Divine Holiness Church says $600,000 can do a lot of good.
"I'm against the lottery, but if one of my members won the lottery, I wish and I hope he would give 10% to the church, we could do a lot of things with that money," says Hall.
Read more here.
What do you think?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday's Sermon
I always have to have a manuscript when I preach. It’s all up here – all 1365 words. Even back in Georgia, where the church was smaller and I preached from the floor of the nave, I always had a manuscript tucked away someplace in case I needed it.
You see, my problem is, I have undiagnosed ADD. Attention Deficit Disorder. I’ve never been to a doctor about it so I’m not really sure that I have it – but I do know that I am easily distracted. Believe it or not, I have an easier time preaching to 500 people than to 50. When I’m preaching to 50, I see every face and I focus on every face. And if you yawn or start to open a piece of candy wrapped in plastic, I’m with you the entire way. So much so that I just might forget what I’m doing because I’m clued in to what you are doing.
But don’t worry, I don’t care if you yawn or open a piece of candy, because my sermon is right here if I need it. That’s why I always read the Nicene Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. I know the Creed and I know the Lord’s Prayer, I know them like the back of my hand, but there was one time during a wedding, when a very cute little flower girl was doing what very cute little flower girls do while standing in front of a large crowd, and I was distracted and lost my place right in the middle of the Lord’s Prayer. Ever since then, it is printed right in front of my eyes.
I think the church knows that all of us have elements of ADD in us. In fact, I think all major religions recognize that about human nature and our tendency to lose focus. A long time ago, the church used to separate men and women in worship. Many other religions still separate men and women. I used to think it was because we were so patriarchal that our ancestors thought women were not valued enough to even worship with the men. And while some men might have thought that – a more practical explanation was once given to me:
I don’t remember a single word that the Reverend Carlos Gardner ever said between 1990 and 1993. I don’t remember what he or anyone else said because Melanie Wall was in the choir loft right behind the Reverend Gardner. She was second from the right on the third row. He might have said some truly profound words of wisdom and insight – but I never heard them. It was hard to focus!
That’s why we build churches that orient our thoughts and hearts to things of God. Gothic churches with high ceilings are supposed to move our eyes upward – so we will think of heaven. Stained glass windows and art and crosses are all designed so that everywhere we look, our easily distracted eyes will be brought back to one focused on Christ.
That’s the point of Rosaries and candles and icons, all are used to enable us to be in a state of prayer and to focus on the Good News of God’s love.
But do you realize how hard that is – to be in a state of prayer and to focus on God’s love? Have you ever thought about what you were going to have for lunch during the Prayers of the People? Have you ever thought about what was on television the night before during the Lord’s Prayer? Haven’t we all drifted off somewhere not long after the sermon has started? I have and that’s why I keep a copy right here!
Have you ever tried to read the Bible and you have to go back and read the same line over and over again because your thoughts are running over here and running over there – and it’s no wonder we don’t enjoy reading the Bible or even coming to church.
On our drive to St Timothy’s we have to process traffic and road signs. We see billboards and restaurants. We are dealing with the people in our cars or the voices on our radios. Our minds process billions of bits of information that we long for silence and peace and a chance to focus – but we have a difficult time dealing with it once we actually get it!
It is hard just to be silent and to think of nothing but God. It is hard to pray and not have other conversations or other images pop in our minds. It is hard to keep our eyes on Christ.
Right after Jesus fed over 5000 with just some fish and bread, he sent his disciples in their boat to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus sent the crowds away and he went up on a mountain – away from the people and questions – he went to a quiet place to pray.
The disciples were crossing the Sea and winds came and tossed the boat all during the night. And early in the morning, between 3 and 6am, Jesus walks out to them. He is walking on the water.
The disciples are terrified, the wind is blowing, there is probably mist and fog everywhere, and they think he is a ghost.
St Peter calls out to Jesus asking him to call him out on the water too. Jesus calls Peter and Peter steps out on the water – he makes a leap of faith and starts walking to Jesus. His eyes are on Christ, he is not thinking about the water or the wind, he is focused.
And then he looks away. St Matthew says he noticed the strong wind. It had always been there. It had been blowing all night. It had been blowing when Peter stepped out on the water, but he was not paying attention to it.
But now he looks. He feels the wind. He takes his eyes away from Christ. And he sinks. He sinks.
There is a great story written anonymously in Russian about a simple pilgrim who owned nothing but a knapsack and a Bible who went to Church one day and heard St Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians where St Paul told the Thessalonians to ‘pray without ceasing.’ This bothered the pilgrim and he wondered if it was even possible to pray without ceasing because as human beings we must occupy ourselves with other things just to stay alive!
Yet St Paul commanded the Church to pray without ceasing. So the pilgrim dedicated his life wandering all over Russia going from holy teacher to holy teacher trying to learn how to pray without ceasing.
Do you think it is possible?
Do you think it is possible to orient our lives so that Christ is our focus? So that living out our baptismal vows is our focus?
Do you think it is possible in a world that is so full of distractions and other demands to live a life that is permeated by the life, teaching, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ?
Do you think it is possible to walk on the water and not notice the wind?
What is possible, because it happens all the time – to all members of God’s family, is stepping out in that water and knowing what it feels like to sink – to keep our heads above the water as we try to stay afloat.
Let’s support each other in our desire to grow more fully and deeply into the people God is calling us to be. Let us help each other keep our focus and to build homes and communities that are focused on Christ.
Let us work together to make this place, St Timothy’s, a loving, wise guide, that will help us all on our journey to love without ceasing, give without ceasing, hope without ceasing, love without ceasing, and worship without ceasing.
Let us work together so that we all make know what it feels like to put our toes in the water – and not feel the wind – not hear the voices – and not sink. And not sink.
Amen.
You see, my problem is, I have undiagnosed ADD. Attention Deficit Disorder. I’ve never been to a doctor about it so I’m not really sure that I have it – but I do know that I am easily distracted. Believe it or not, I have an easier time preaching to 500 people than to 50. When I’m preaching to 50, I see every face and I focus on every face. And if you yawn or start to open a piece of candy wrapped in plastic, I’m with you the entire way. So much so that I just might forget what I’m doing because I’m clued in to what you are doing.
But don’t worry, I don’t care if you yawn or open a piece of candy, because my sermon is right here if I need it. That’s why I always read the Nicene Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. I know the Creed and I know the Lord’s Prayer, I know them like the back of my hand, but there was one time during a wedding, when a very cute little flower girl was doing what very cute little flower girls do while standing in front of a large crowd, and I was distracted and lost my place right in the middle of the Lord’s Prayer. Ever since then, it is printed right in front of my eyes.
I think the church knows that all of us have elements of ADD in us. In fact, I think all major religions recognize that about human nature and our tendency to lose focus. A long time ago, the church used to separate men and women in worship. Many other religions still separate men and women. I used to think it was because we were so patriarchal that our ancestors thought women were not valued enough to even worship with the men. And while some men might have thought that – a more practical explanation was once given to me:
I don’t remember a single word that the Reverend Carlos Gardner ever said between 1990 and 1993. I don’t remember what he or anyone else said because Melanie Wall was in the choir loft right behind the Reverend Gardner. She was second from the right on the third row. He might have said some truly profound words of wisdom and insight – but I never heard them. It was hard to focus!
That’s why we build churches that orient our thoughts and hearts to things of God. Gothic churches with high ceilings are supposed to move our eyes upward – so we will think of heaven. Stained glass windows and art and crosses are all designed so that everywhere we look, our easily distracted eyes will be brought back to one focused on Christ.
That’s the point of Rosaries and candles and icons, all are used to enable us to be in a state of prayer and to focus on the Good News of God’s love.
But do you realize how hard that is – to be in a state of prayer and to focus on God’s love? Have you ever thought about what you were going to have for lunch during the Prayers of the People? Have you ever thought about what was on television the night before during the Lord’s Prayer? Haven’t we all drifted off somewhere not long after the sermon has started? I have and that’s why I keep a copy right here!
Have you ever tried to read the Bible and you have to go back and read the same line over and over again because your thoughts are running over here and running over there – and it’s no wonder we don’t enjoy reading the Bible or even coming to church.
On our drive to St Timothy’s we have to process traffic and road signs. We see billboards and restaurants. We are dealing with the people in our cars or the voices on our radios. Our minds process billions of bits of information that we long for silence and peace and a chance to focus – but we have a difficult time dealing with it once we actually get it!
It is hard just to be silent and to think of nothing but God. It is hard to pray and not have other conversations or other images pop in our minds. It is hard to keep our eyes on Christ.
Right after Jesus fed over 5000 with just some fish and bread, he sent his disciples in their boat to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus sent the crowds away and he went up on a mountain – away from the people and questions – he went to a quiet place to pray.
The disciples were crossing the Sea and winds came and tossed the boat all during the night. And early in the morning, between 3 and 6am, Jesus walks out to them. He is walking on the water.
The disciples are terrified, the wind is blowing, there is probably mist and fog everywhere, and they think he is a ghost.
St Peter calls out to Jesus asking him to call him out on the water too. Jesus calls Peter and Peter steps out on the water – he makes a leap of faith and starts walking to Jesus. His eyes are on Christ, he is not thinking about the water or the wind, he is focused.
And then he looks away. St Matthew says he noticed the strong wind. It had always been there. It had been blowing all night. It had been blowing when Peter stepped out on the water, but he was not paying attention to it.
But now he looks. He feels the wind. He takes his eyes away from Christ. And he sinks. He sinks.
There is a great story written anonymously in Russian about a simple pilgrim who owned nothing but a knapsack and a Bible who went to Church one day and heard St Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians where St Paul told the Thessalonians to ‘pray without ceasing.’ This bothered the pilgrim and he wondered if it was even possible to pray without ceasing because as human beings we must occupy ourselves with other things just to stay alive!
Yet St Paul commanded the Church to pray without ceasing. So the pilgrim dedicated his life wandering all over Russia going from holy teacher to holy teacher trying to learn how to pray without ceasing.
Do you think it is possible?
Do you think it is possible to orient our lives so that Christ is our focus? So that living out our baptismal vows is our focus?
Do you think it is possible in a world that is so full of distractions and other demands to live a life that is permeated by the life, teaching, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ?
Do you think it is possible to walk on the water and not notice the wind?
What is possible, because it happens all the time – to all members of God’s family, is stepping out in that water and knowing what it feels like to sink – to keep our heads above the water as we try to stay afloat.
Let’s support each other in our desire to grow more fully and deeply into the people God is calling us to be. Let us help each other keep our focus and to build homes and communities that are focused on Christ.
Let us work together to make this place, St Timothy’s, a loving, wise guide, that will help us all on our journey to love without ceasing, give without ceasing, hope without ceasing, love without ceasing, and worship without ceasing.
Let us work together so that we all make know what it feels like to put our toes in the water – and not feel the wind – not hear the voices – and not sink. And not sink.
Amen.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Joke of the Day
from beliefnet.com
How Do You Get To Heaven?
"If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into heaven?" I asked the children in my Sunday school class.
"NO!" the children all answered.
"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into heaven?"
Again the answer was, "NO!""Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my wife, would that get me into heaven?" I asked them again.
Once more they all answered, "NO!"
"Well," I continued, thinking they were a good bit more theologically sophisticated than I had given them credit for, "then how can I get into heaven?"
A five-year-old boy shouted out, "You gotta be dead!"
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
"Make him a priest"
Pardon me today while I remember and celebrate a very important anniversary. On the feast of the Transfiguration I was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Lambeth Conference
Lambeth Conference, the gathering of all Anglican bishops every 10 years, has concluded. This conference was watched by so many in the Anglican world as tensions across our global communion have been high. The issues surrounded human sexuality, the interpretation of the Bible, and really, in my opinion, the mission of the church. Of course, there are many other issues, deeply related and highly complex. Not all of the bishops chose to attend Lambeth Conference. Another conference, GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference) was held in Jerusalem a month earlier. This has been seen my many as an alternative, more conservative "Lambeth." I, like many Episcopalians - especially clergy, have been following news and developments associated not only with Lambeth but all developments in the rising tensions and disagreements. My practice has been to read a conservative blog and a liberal blog hoping that the accurate picture might be somewhere in the middle. Sadly, the blogs ceased to be sources of news and insight and became sources of anger, hate, and venom. One blog has since shut down. As a blogger, I recognize that this might be part of our problem. We feel a need to respond quickly and put our opinions and thoughts right into the world of cyberspace. Many times this is done before reflection and prayer. I wonder if having "Blogging Bishops" at Lambeth was a good thing. I read their entries, and some were cold and cynical and some were optimistic. Perhaps it would have been better to reflect on the whole of the Conference instead of a play by play. I say this in full recognition that I am not a bishop and I do not have the very solemn task and burden they have.
Lambeth Conference did not pass any resolutions and solve any problems, and I think that is a good thing. I'm not sure that we are ready. And I recognize again, that my comments may not come before reflection and prayer. When couples preparing for marriage or couples that are already married and are having difficult times dealing with conflict come for counsel, I advise a time of cooling down. Think before we speak. Reflect before we react. Give things some time. When we live in an Anglican world where those who differ view each other as "unchristian" or "bigots," and caricatures are drawn of the disagreements from each - I'm not sure we're ready. When we hunger for winners and losers, I'm not sure we've prayed enough.
I think the Archbishop of Canterbury feels the same way. By having Lambeth this year to consist of conversations and indabas and not resolutions and votes - he forced differing bishops to sit face to face and listen. And to pray. And maybe, just maybe, enough time, space, and faith has been shown that those on the right and left can come together.
I downloaded the 44 page final reflection paper and I have skimmed it. Over the next few days I hope to have some time to read every word. But one thing that caught my attention was one of the suggestions for the way forward. The suggestion said Gamaliel's response. Gamaliel was a teacher of the law - a Pharisee - and he spoke up for Peter and the apostles in the face of a movement to kill them. This is his response (Acts 5:35-39):
In other words - if it is from God - it will last. If it is not - it will fail.
How do we know if it is from God? Time, prayer, patience, humility, love. We'll know.
I applaud the Archbishop for being biblical. Jesus gives us great guidance in dealing with conflict (Matthew 18:15-17). Instead of dealing with each other and our issues over the internet or through open letters - let's sit down face to face and talk, pray, and listen.
What will happen with the Anglican Communion? That's way above my pay grade! But let us not be so impatient. God is here. All will be well. And what is well and from God will always last - and it is my firm belief that the Anglican Communion is both.
Lambeth Conference did not pass any resolutions and solve any problems, and I think that is a good thing. I'm not sure that we are ready. And I recognize again, that my comments may not come before reflection and prayer. When couples preparing for marriage or couples that are already married and are having difficult times dealing with conflict come for counsel, I advise a time of cooling down. Think before we speak. Reflect before we react. Give things some time. When we live in an Anglican world where those who differ view each other as "unchristian" or "bigots," and caricatures are drawn of the disagreements from each - I'm not sure we're ready. When we hunger for winners and losers, I'm not sure we've prayed enough.
I think the Archbishop of Canterbury feels the same way. By having Lambeth this year to consist of conversations and indabas and not resolutions and votes - he forced differing bishops to sit face to face and listen. And to pray. And maybe, just maybe, enough time, space, and faith has been shown that those on the right and left can come together.
I downloaded the 44 page final reflection paper and I have skimmed it. Over the next few days I hope to have some time to read every word. But one thing that caught my attention was one of the suggestions for the way forward. The suggestion said Gamaliel's response. Gamaliel was a teacher of the law - a Pharisee - and he spoke up for Peter and the apostles in the face of a movement to kill them. This is his response (Acts 5:35-39):
Then he said to them, ‘Fellow-Israelites,* consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!’
They were convinced by him,
In other words - if it is from God - it will last. If it is not - it will fail.
How do we know if it is from God? Time, prayer, patience, humility, love. We'll know.
I applaud the Archbishop for being biblical. Jesus gives us great guidance in dealing with conflict (Matthew 18:15-17). Instead of dealing with each other and our issues over the internet or through open letters - let's sit down face to face and talk, pray, and listen.
What will happen with the Anglican Communion? That's way above my pay grade! But let us not be so impatient. God is here. All will be well. And what is well and from God will always last - and it is my firm belief that the Anglican Communion is both.
Monday, August 4, 2008
From this morning's scripture readings
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' ") 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' ") 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
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