Rev. Brian Campbell, speaker. Trinity Sunday.
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Rev. Brian Campbell, speaker. Trinity Sunday.
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The compilers of the lectionary for the Daily Office love Psalm 37! It occurs no less than eight times within the liturgical year, and always on a Thursday (set for both the morning and the evening office). Truth be told, the selections from the psalter are set in a seven week repeating pattern (thus, every day in the Daily Office will have the same pattern with different psalms). It just so happens that ‘Thursdays’ have become my go-to day for my ‘Reflections’ and thus David’s Psalm 37 is a frequent companion.
I am drawn to Psalm 37 (as you can tell by my past reflections) but have been intrigued to discover its association with Thursday. The Daily Office is set to reflect the Passion of Jesus on a weekly basis, with an emphasis on the Great Triduum (Maundy Thursday through Easter Sunday). Thus, ‘Fridays’ psalms are frequently affliction psalms corresponding to the Great Affliction that makes us whole; ‘Saturdays’ psalms are typically ‘trusting’ or ‘waiting’ psalms corresponding to Christ’s experience on Holy Saturday; ‘Sundays’ psalms are ones of praise and exultation pointing towards the glory of the resurrection.
And ‘Thursdays’ psalms? Dare we say that they are typically ‘decision’ psalms- psalms which present us with a choice between faithfulness and faithlessness when faced with difficult circumstances? The choice between ‘betrayal’ and ‘deeper communion’ that characterized the evening of Maundy Thursday?
David’s circumstances – both personally and societally- have definitely changed. ‘Evildoers’ and ‘wrongdoers’ seemingly are blessed; those who ‘carry out evil devices’ apparently ‘prosper in (their) way’!
In the light of those changing and challenging circumstances the choice before the faithful ones is clear: either we ‘fret’ or we ‘trust’! Either we give in to ‘fear’ and ‘anger’, to ‘envy’ and ‘anxiety’, or we choose to embrace and deepen a way of life that increases ‘trust in the LORD’ (v3), where we can ‘delight .. in the LORD’ (v4), where we ‘(re)commit our way to the LORD’ (v5), where we consciously and practically order our lives so we can ‘be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him’ (v7).
Please note, David is not advocating withdrawal from the world! We are to ‘trust in the LORD and do good!’ (v3), to ‘commit our way to the LORD…and he will act’ and his action will be seen in our vindication within and before the world (“He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday’ v.6).
Nonetheless David presents us with a fundamental choice in the face of difficult circumstances: ‘betrayal’ –through the giving in to fear and anger and envy, or ‘deeper communion’ –through an embrace of the disciplines that open us to grace.
In the mist of the circumstances of your day, which choice are you making?
Rev. Brian Campbell, speaker. Day of Pentecost
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Here are a few things to know about what is happening in and around Christ the Redeemer this week:
Rev. Brian Campbell, speaker. Seventh Sunday of Easter.
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But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor… Hebrews 2: 9
Today is Ascension Day, the day when we are asked to reflect on and celebrate the exaltation of Jesus to the right hand of God. In other words, we are asked to reflect on and celebrate that at a moment in time, and as the climax of redemption, a particular flesh-and-blood human being was elevated to share in the very glory of God!
That is both an amazing, and an amazingly difficult thing to do. To aid us in doing so, the other lections set for today are helpful.
First, David expresses wonder as he contemplates the reflected glory of God seen in the creation itself (Psalm 8). God’s glory is ‘set…above the heavens’ and yet is reflected wonderfully within the ‘heavens and the earth’. When he reflects on the greatness of that reflected glory he wonders ‘what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?’ And yet, he says, ‘you have given him dominion over the works of your hands…’
David wonders at the role and the honor bequeathed to humanity by our Creator; a role and honor which is not eradicated by our fallenness. We are asked today to contemplate the wonder of that role and honor now absolutely purified and perfected in and by Jesus. Difficult to do, yes, but not impossible.
Second, turn to the text from Ezekiel and read about the prophet’s encounter with the ‘direct’ glory of God (go ahead and read the entire first chapter and try to imagine the unimaginable). What is the impact of this encounter with glory? He fell on his face, and needed the gift of the Spirit of God to be raised to his feet (Ezekiel 2:2).
The direct glory of God is so far above us that it overwhelms us. And yet, we are asked to believe that JESUS now shares in that glory. Take some time today to contemplate and celebrate that fact. That this particular human being, Jesus of Nazareth, now shares fully and truly in the glory of God.
But don’t stop there! Go on to contemplate that he does so ‘on our behalf and in our place’! He does so as the Messiah of Israel, the One who embodies and represents the people who were called to embody and represent humanity. As the exalted Messiah he becomes the Last Adam, the One through whom God gives birth to a new humanity; a new humanity that shares in his glory, even as he shares in the very glory of God.
His exaltation enables and assures our exaltation.
That too is something to contemplate.
That too is something to celebrate.
Take some time today to wonder and rejoice in the Ascension of Jesus.
This Week at Christ the Redeemer:
LtCOL USAF Dan Waterman, Speaker. Sixth Sunday of Easter
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