Journeying with Hilda
I have recently returned to the resources of the Northumbria Community as a source of devotion. I discovered a booklet that many in the community have been using during the Easter season–Follow the Example In the Right Place-A range of resources for following the Hild Liturgy.
It is a great collection of writings and prayers from Hilda, the Abbess of Whitby (614-680) that were used in their Easter Workshop.
A couple of excerpts:
Take me often from the tumult of things
into Thy presence.
There show me what I am,
and what Thou hast purposed me to be.
Then hide me from Thy tears.
O King and Saviour,
what is Thy gift to me?
And do I use it to Thy pleasing?+ + +
My soul’s desire is to see the face of
God and to rest in His house.
My soul’s desire is to study the Scriptures
and to learn the ways of God.
My soul’s desire is to be freed from
all fear and sadness, and to share Christ’s risen life.
My soul’s desire is to imitate my King,
and to sing His purposes always.
My soul’s desire is to enter the gates
of heaven and to gaze upon the light
that shines forever.
Ascension Day
It is a high holy day in the life of the Church, but it falls on a Thursday, so its observance gets missed by the vast majority of folks. It was 40 days after the Resurrection that Jesus ascended to take his place at the right hand of God (remember your Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds?). Paul has the right words to describe the power of this day:
God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (from Ephesians 1)
Scriptures for the Day:
Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47
or Psalm 93
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:44-53
Prayers for the Day:
Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
or this
Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sermon Notes- June 17, 2012
Year B- Pentecost 3- Proper 6
1 Samuel 15:34-16:13
Psalm 20 or Psalm 92 (UMH 811)
2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13), 14-17
Mark 4:26-34
The lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures and Gospel are rich this week. Last week the people wanted a king, now they have Saul, and they have sent Samuel out to look for number 2. In the Gospel, we look at one of the parables rich with symbol and metaphor.
- So Israel, you wanted a king, and you got one. But is Saul really who you want? Apparently not. The whole narrative gives the reader the idea that Saul might be just a bit touched, a little violent, and threatening even to his most trusted servants. Samuel is sent to Bethlehem (a good reference point) to find Jesse who will provide a son who will be second in line to the throne. Seven sons are brought to Samuel, but none of them were anointed to be king. Then the last of them, the young one, the one who is out tending sheep, David, is chosen. God rarely makes the obvious choice when it comes to leaders in the Bible. Out of eight sons, some were certainly stronger, more experienced and more capable than the little guy out watching sheep, but God doesn’t think like we do. Thank God for that.
- The Psalm clicks with the theme of anointing from the first lesson. God always comes to the aid of those God chooses. But God’s reign is different than an earthly reign–V. 7-8: Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God. They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.
- The Epistle is a good one to preach as well. (v.15) So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! The ending is in essence the beginning of this passage. Living the Christian life is not easy, it is not without hardship, it is not without death. But Christ has been there, and Christ will make all things new.
- The first of many parables in the lectionary for the summer. Jesus teaches here with a rural bent. A story about seeds and plants makes sense to the folks of Nazareth and Galilee. If you are going to speak about Kingdom things, it is best to speak in terms that folks understand. The parable of the mustard seed is frequently used because it is an example of tremendous growth or tremendous return on investment. A little bit goes a long way. That is the nature of the Kingdom–a little bit goes a long way. Great growth happens from a little input. Jesus taught the public with parables, and explained it to the disciples in private. This is a model of discipleship for the 21st century. We should constantly be speaking a word in public that is inspiring, that takes broad strokes with a wide brush. And, we should be spending time with smaller groups of folks, making sure they understand and know how to apply those broad concepts.
A Prayer of St. Aidan
ST AIDAN’S PRAYER FOR THE HOLY ISLAND OF LINDISFARNELord, this bare island,
make it a place of peace.
of those who do Thy will.
Here be the peace
of brother serving man.
Here be the peace
of holy monks obeying.
Here be the peace
of praise by dark and day.
Be this Island Thy Holy Island.
I, Lord, Thy servant, Aidan,
make this prayer.
Be it Thy care.
Amen.
(from the Daily Office of the Northumbria Community)
Preparing for the Ascension
Thursday is known as the Feast of the Ascension. We will be celebrating the Ascension on Sunday at my churches. It is the 40th day after Easter, and 10 days before Pentecost. Today I am reading the Psalm for the Day in Preparation for Thursday & Sunday:
Psalm 47
Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth.
He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm.
God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted.
Sermon Notes- June 10, 2012
Year B- Pentecost 2-Proper 5
1 Samuel 8:4-20 (11:14-15)
Psalm 138 (UMH 853)
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
Mark 3:20-35
The Season after Pentecost (Ordinary Time) is a long season that takes the Church all the way to Advent. The high holy days of the season show up in November, with All Saints (Nov. 1) and Christ the King (last Sunday before Advent). So the preacher has almost 6 months to fill with proclamation that is not tied to feast days and special days. over the years I have done a bunch of different things, but I have found the lectionary to be a great guide to reading large swaths of scripture and preaching on series of stories from the Old and New Testament. There is regularly in the Hebrew scriptures a series of stories from the patriarchs that link well to the Psalms. There is often a series of stories from the Gospels that link well to the Epistle. Use the lectionary to point you to the larger narrative of God’s salvation history.
- The reading from 1 Samuel is my favorite for the day…Israel wants a King and they come to Samuel to help make it happen. Samuel warns them of what might happen (you will get taxed, your sons will be sent to war, your daughters will be conscripted to serve, you will have your riches taken away, and become slaves yourself) and warns them that when you complain to God about the King you chose, God will not listen. But the people get what they ask for (“Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it.”) and then you can tell the rest of the story. There is plenty to unpack in telling this story–what was the system before the monarchy? what was the result of the monarchy? did Samuel’s warnings come true? what does it mean to have human rulers? what does it mean to be a citizen of God’s Kingdom while residing in a human kingdom?
- The Psalm is an excellent compliment to the first reading. It holds in tension what a good king does who is in touch with where his power comes and the Kingship of the Almighty. It can be read with the knowledge that there are plenty of instances where the Psalms remember the king who is irresponsible and not in touch with the Almighty.
- The Epistle Lesson is a grand look at death and resurrection from Paul’s writing to the church at Corinth. It is the Christian doctrine that often gets confused by church folks who essentially believe in immortality of the soul. Paul holds high the Hebrew view of the connected body and soul while also dealing with the fact that there is more to this life than just the physical–and though the physical body may be destroyed, God has built a spiritual body that endures. A Christian just doesn’t pass from one state to the other, but there is death, and there is God’s raising us from death. Just like Jesus who was alive, died, was buried, and then arose. This passage gives the preacher an opportunity to speak of what we really believe about death (see the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds)
- The Gospel Lesson steps back in Mark to some stories that were not covered earlier in the year when we started reading from this Gospel. This is an interesting text that includes Jesus’ relationship to his family, and his relationship to the scribes. His family is concerned about Jesus, with all of these folks flocking to him, his folks thought he must be out of his mind. The scribes had another way of describing it–he must have a demon. Jesus speaks first to the scribes and teaches them that their logic is out of whack and not in touch with Kingdom things. Then he speaks to his family, in an off-hand sort of way. He basically says that their priorities are out of whack, and not in touch with Kingdom things. From this story, Jesus call us to get in touch with Kingdom things, and learn what the family of God is all about. Beware, it might seem out of whack to us.