Reading Plan Text for June 30: John 20:11-18
Angels here. Angels there. Angels everywhere. Paging Dr. Suess!
They just appear in the tomb. They even sound a lot like Jesus: "Woman," just like Jesus addressed his mother. "Woman, why are you weeping?" What is it with Marys and angels? Just like Jesus' mother when Gabriel shows up unannounced, Mary Magdalene doesn't seem fazed in the least. They show up out of thin air, and she simply tells them why she's crying.
And once she turns around, the angels disappear from the story. Was there even a purpose for them to be there? If they are messengers, they have remarkably little--to announce. Or maybe they are the heralds with their trumpets announcing the arrival of the king.
And there he is, although Mary first mistakes him for a gardener. Jesus whole and and alive, standing before her. He sends Mary to tell the other disciples what has happened. She becomes his messenger, the first bearer of the good news to the world.
Peace,
Jeffri
Monday, June 30, 2008
Bible Study With The Bishops: Seeing For Ourselves
Reading Plan Text for June 27: John 20:1-10
Mary Magdalene arrives to find an open tomb. She does not look inside but runs immediately to Peter and the Disciple "whom Jesus loved," telling them that "they" have taken Jesus' body. There are two "theys" who would have done this, and possibly three. The first they that this little group would have thought of was the Jewish religious leaders. The second would be grave robbers. The third possible "they" was the Roman officials, perhaps Pilate tweaking the noses of the Jewish leaders.
The two men race--literally--to the tomb. The Beloved Disciple arrives first. Burridge reminds us that if this individual is the witness writing, or telling, this Gospel, the he is quite a bit younger than Peter. However, when he arrives, he waits respectfully just outside the tomb waiting for Peter. Peter enters first and sees the empty linen wrappings. The Beloved Disciple follows, sees the wrappings and believes. The possibility that there is no "they" begins to dawn on the Disciples. But neither Disciple really understands, and they return to their homes leaving Mary at the tomb.
Some theories claim that Mary Magdalene was the Beloved Disciple. Clearly, according to John, that is not the case. These theorists will go on to claim that because she was a woman, the writer of the gospel created another male disciple to fill that role. That seems far fetched given the role Mary Magdalene plays in the resurrection stories of all four gospels. Nor does John show the other disciples disbelieving Mary's story. I don't think John is telling us that Peter and the Beloved Disciple disbelieve Mary. A disaster has happened. Mary has gone to the most obvious people to inform. Their teacher's body has been stolen. The human need to see the scene of the crime, so to speak, kicks in, and the two men race to the empty tomb.
Peter and the Beloved Disciple did what most of us would have done. We all have the need to see for ourselves. Over two thousand years later, we still have to rely on their reports as recorded by those who heard it second, third, fourth, and even fifth hand.
And we still wish we could see it for ourselves.
Peace,
Jeffri
Mary Magdalene arrives to find an open tomb. She does not look inside but runs immediately to Peter and the Disciple "whom Jesus loved," telling them that "they" have taken Jesus' body. There are two "theys" who would have done this, and possibly three. The first they that this little group would have thought of was the Jewish religious leaders. The second would be grave robbers. The third possible "they" was the Roman officials, perhaps Pilate tweaking the noses of the Jewish leaders.
The two men race--literally--to the tomb. The Beloved Disciple arrives first. Burridge reminds us that if this individual is the witness writing, or telling, this Gospel, the he is quite a bit younger than Peter. However, when he arrives, he waits respectfully just outside the tomb waiting for Peter. Peter enters first and sees the empty linen wrappings. The Beloved Disciple follows, sees the wrappings and believes. The possibility that there is no "they" begins to dawn on the Disciples. But neither Disciple really understands, and they return to their homes leaving Mary at the tomb.
Some theories claim that Mary Magdalene was the Beloved Disciple. Clearly, according to John, that is not the case. These theorists will go on to claim that because she was a woman, the writer of the gospel created another male disciple to fill that role. That seems far fetched given the role Mary Magdalene plays in the resurrection stories of all four gospels. Nor does John show the other disciples disbelieving Mary's story. I don't think John is telling us that Peter and the Beloved Disciple disbelieve Mary. A disaster has happened. Mary has gone to the most obvious people to inform. Their teacher's body has been stolen. The human need to see the scene of the crime, so to speak, kicks in, and the two men race to the empty tomb.
Peter and the Beloved Disciple did what most of us would have done. We all have the need to see for ourselves. Over two thousand years later, we still have to rely on their reports as recorded by those who heard it second, third, fourth, and even fifth hand.
And we still wish we could see it for ourselves.
Peace,
Jeffri
As The Teapot Turns
I'm back from spending a week with my brother's family. For the first part of the week it was just me and my nephews, as my brother and sister-in-law were away for a few days. My niece stopped by one evening for dinner. It was a lazy week. We spent afternoons at the pool, played Carcassonne, watched TV, and read books. Well, the boys watched TV. I read a lot.
And I spent nearly an entire week away from the Anglican Tempest in a Teapot. The oldest nephew's laptop couldn't hold its wireless connection, and the desktop has a very slow modem connection. With two teenagers and a ten-year-old in the house, "Uncle Older Guy" didn't have much of a chance to get online to check email, the blogs, or news of things Anglican after the "GAFCON 8" story.
Not much has changed. Well, a statement was issued by the GAFCON participants--or at least their leaders. The statement has been dissected, parsed, and rehashed by just about everyone. Bishop Bennison has been found guilty. And Anglican bishops around the globe are preparing to depart for the Lambeth Conference.
Before I left for my brother's, I wrote four of the Lambeth Bible Studies and scheduled them to be published. It's a neat feature of Blogger. I didn't finish the one for last Friday, figuring I could finish it during the week. I guess it's a good thing I wrote the other four ahead, given the computer situation...
So now I will finish Friday's Bible Study, write today's and tomorrow's. Then I'll take some time and look at the blogs to catch up on the tempest in the teapot.
Maybe...
Peace,
Jeffri
And I spent nearly an entire week away from the Anglican Tempest in a Teapot. The oldest nephew's laptop couldn't hold its wireless connection, and the desktop has a very slow modem connection. With two teenagers and a ten-year-old in the house, "Uncle Older Guy" didn't have much of a chance to get online to check email, the blogs, or news of things Anglican after the "GAFCON 8" story.
Not much has changed. Well, a statement was issued by the GAFCON participants--or at least their leaders. The statement has been dissected, parsed, and rehashed by just about everyone. Bishop Bennison has been found guilty. And Anglican bishops around the globe are preparing to depart for the Lambeth Conference.
Before I left for my brother's, I wrote four of the Lambeth Bible Studies and scheduled them to be published. It's a neat feature of Blogger. I didn't finish the one for last Friday, figuring I could finish it during the week. I guess it's a good thing I wrote the other four ahead, given the computer situation...
So now I will finish Friday's Bible Study, write today's and tomorrow's. Then I'll take some time and look at the blogs to catch up on the tempest in the teapot.
Maybe...
Peace,
Jeffri
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Bible Study With The Bishops: Coming Out
Reading Plan Text for June 26: John 19:35-42
The Disciples, with the exceptions of Judas and the "one whom Jesus loved," are nowhere to be found. Jesus is dead. The one disciple is comforting Jesus' mother, not to mention trying to deal with his own grief and shock. The Jewish leaders still hover--they asked that the crucified men's legs be broken to hasten their deaths. This is not a particularly safe time to be identified as one of Jesus' followers.
Yet two who have remained hidden to a great extent come forward.
And then
As a gay man--an Out gay man--I understand what it took for these two men step out into the open and publicly identify themselves as followers of Jesus by word and action. I know the feeling of liberation when the hiding is over. And like these two, I learned that not every reaction to Coming--and being--Out is negative or violent. Pilate gives Joseph permission to take Jesus' body for burial. Joseph and Nicodemus prepare the body and place it in the tomb unmolested. That is not to say that others will not experience the violence and hatred, as we see when we read about the stoning of Stephen in Acts.
Joseph and Nicodemus have entered a new life, and not because Jesus died, and will rise, for them and all of us. They have entered a new life of freedom in part because of their own actions. Even as we grieve with them, I rejoice for them.
Peace,
Jeffri
The Disciples, with the exceptions of Judas and the "one whom Jesus loved," are nowhere to be found. Jesus is dead. The one disciple is comforting Jesus' mother, not to mention trying to deal with his own grief and shock. The Jewish leaders still hover--they asked that the crucified men's legs be broken to hasten their deaths. This is not a particularly safe time to be identified as one of Jesus' followers.
Yet two who have remained hidden to a great extent come forward.
Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. (19:38)In spite of that fear, Joseph approaches Pilate. For whatever reason, he has decided that he can no longer remain hidden. It is time to declare himself publicly.
And then
Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. (19:39)We have seen Nicodemus speak up for Jesus at a meeting of the Jewish religious officials, but he did not exactly declare himself a follower. Yet now he comes openly to assist Joseph with the burial of Jesus.
As a gay man--an Out gay man--I understand what it took for these two men step out into the open and publicly identify themselves as followers of Jesus by word and action. I know the feeling of liberation when the hiding is over. And like these two, I learned that not every reaction to Coming--and being--Out is negative or violent. Pilate gives Joseph permission to take Jesus' body for burial. Joseph and Nicodemus prepare the body and place it in the tomb unmolested. That is not to say that others will not experience the violence and hatred, as we see when we read about the stoning of Stephen in Acts.
Joseph and Nicodemus have entered a new life, and not because Jesus died, and will rise, for them and all of us. They have entered a new life of freedom in part because of their own actions. Even as we grieve with them, I rejoice for them.
Peace,
Jeffri
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Bible Study With The Bishops: Interpretations
Reading Plan Text for June 25: John 19:31-35
After talking a little bit yesterday about interpreting Scripture, I am going to quote the third section of Burridge's commentary for today in its entirety.
All of that out of four short verses of Scripture (19:31-34)!
Peace,
Jeffri
After talking a little bit yesterday about interpreting Scripture, I am going to quote the third section of Burridge's commentary for today in its entirety.
As often, there are many interpretations of John's deeper meaning for the blood and water. Since Jesus dies as the true Passover lamb, blood recalls how the lamb's blood was sprinkled by the priests (2 Chron. 35:11). On the other hand, water recalls Jesus' promise that out of his koilia, heart or chest, will flow 'streams of living water', which John interpreted as the giving of the Spirit after he had been glorified in death (7:38-39). Some early Fathers saw here the two-fold baptism of water and baptism of blood, or martyrdom, faced by their people in the persecutions. Others interpret it as the Lord's gift of the two sacraments: water for baptism, and blood for the wine of communion. We have noted the connection of water with baptism and the Spirit before (e.g., 3:5; 7:38-39), while blood comes only in the discourse about eading his flesh and drinking his blood (6:53-56). After the hints of bread and wine, vines and cups through John's account of Jesus' last night and day, another reference to the sacraments here is very possible.
The mystery of Jesus' death on the cross for us is so deep that none of these interpretations will ever fully exhaust it. We can only stand at the foot of the corss, like the disciple who witnessed it (19:35)--and marvel. From that messy, all to human death pours a flood of spiritual benefits of forgiveness and new life in the Spirit, freely given to us and to all God's people. (p. 225)
All of that out of four short verses of Scripture (19:31-34)!
Peace,
Jeffri
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Bible Study With The Bishops: Jesus Loved
Reading Plan Text for June 24: John 19:25-30
Only in John do we have this conversation between Jesus and those gathered at the foot of the cross. It is another one of those little details John likes to include without a great deal of explanation. Jesus loved all his Disciples, but these words indicate a special fondness for the unnamed one “whom Jesus loved,” who later is also identified as the writer of this Gospel. The bond was special enough that he gave his mother (who is never named in John’s Gospel) into this particular Disciple’s care.
Over the past few decades some commentators have taken this passages to indicate that Jesus had a same-sex relationship with the Disciple whom he loved. Predictably, this brings howls of outrage from conservative Christians—and even some liberal ones. And even if these two men did have a physical relationship, I’m relatively certain it was not writer’s intention to indicate that they did. It is much more likely that this description has to do with validating the writer’s witness and authority in the Johanine community. And perhaps the community’s tradition was that Jesus’ mother was one of their own, and this scene at the cross tells them how that came to be.
However, one cannot escape the conclusion that a special relationship existed between these two men. If nothing else, it is one of the few purely human attributes John gives his characterization of Jesus. Jesus loved another human being, an individual human being. Can we read a sexual component into it? People have been interpreting things from Scripture that are not explicitly in the text probably since before it was in written form! Jewish Midrash is a tradition of interpretation. Engaging Scripture in this way enriches our understanding of Scripture. It brings us into the story. It gives us the opportunity for new insights.
Jesus loved someone special. Amen. Amen.
Peace,
Jeffri
Only in John do we have this conversation between Jesus and those gathered at the foot of the cross. It is another one of those little details John likes to include without a great deal of explanation. Jesus loved all his Disciples, but these words indicate a special fondness for the unnamed one “whom Jesus loved,” who later is also identified as the writer of this Gospel. The bond was special enough that he gave his mother (who is never named in John’s Gospel) into this particular Disciple’s care.
Over the past few decades some commentators have taken this passages to indicate that Jesus had a same-sex relationship with the Disciple whom he loved. Predictably, this brings howls of outrage from conservative Christians—and even some liberal ones. And even if these two men did have a physical relationship, I’m relatively certain it was not writer’s intention to indicate that they did. It is much more likely that this description has to do with validating the writer’s witness and authority in the Johanine community. And perhaps the community’s tradition was that Jesus’ mother was one of their own, and this scene at the cross tells them how that came to be.However, one cannot escape the conclusion that a special relationship existed between these two men. If nothing else, it is one of the few purely human attributes John gives his characterization of Jesus. Jesus loved another human being, an individual human being. Can we read a sexual component into it? People have been interpreting things from Scripture that are not explicitly in the text probably since before it was in written form! Jewish Midrash is a tradition of interpretation. Engaging Scripture in this way enriches our understanding of Scripture. It brings us into the story. It gives us the opportunity for new insights.
Jesus loved someone special. Amen. Amen.
Peace,
Jeffri
Monday, June 23, 2008
GAFCON: Blowing Smoke
This evening I logged on to check email and found the Anglican Blogosphere had exploded with the news that eight people had been banned from GAFCON by its organizers. Apparently, Ruth Gledhill first reported this news. It has since spread like wildfire. It has even prompted the creation of a Facebook page.
The banned individuals are Bishop Robert O'Neill of Colorado; Mr. Davis MacIyalla, Director of Changing Attitude Nigeria; The Rev. Colin Coward of Changing Attitude in England; the Rev. Susan Russell, President of Integrity USA; the Rev. Scott Gunn; Mr. Louie Crew, founder of Integrity; Mrs. Deborah Edmunds, the personal assistant of Bishop Suheil Dawani of Jerusalem; and the Rev. Robert Edmunds, Bishop Dawani's chaplain.
As yet, there is no mention of the banning on the GAFCON website.
Here is The Guardian's report on recent happenings at the conference... ummmm...pilgrimage. Take a look at Archbishop Akinola's opening remarks. He doesn't seem to have anything new to say. Not enough real news, or nothing really newsworthy? Maybe we can create some buzz if we ban some people from the...ummm...pilgrimage. As I read through the multitude of blogs and news stories I found that this idea also occurred to Jim Naughton of The Lead.
On the other hand, as any good magician knows, distract the audience's attention with one hand while the other hand does the mechanics of the magic trick. Here is Mark Harris' analysis. Let's not be distracted by the smoke being blown.
Peace,
Jeffri
The banned individuals are Bishop Robert O'Neill of Colorado; Mr. Davis MacIyalla, Director of Changing Attitude Nigeria; The Rev. Colin Coward of Changing Attitude in England; the Rev. Susan Russell, President of Integrity USA; the Rev. Scott Gunn; Mr. Louie Crew, founder of Integrity; Mrs. Deborah Edmunds, the personal assistant of Bishop Suheil Dawani of Jerusalem; and the Rev. Robert Edmunds, Bishop Dawani's chaplain.
As yet, there is no mention of the banning on the GAFCON website.
Here is The Guardian's report on recent happenings at the conference... ummmm...pilgrimage. Take a look at Archbishop Akinola's opening remarks. He doesn't seem to have anything new to say. Not enough real news, or nothing really newsworthy? Maybe we can create some buzz if we ban some people from the...ummm...pilgrimage. As I read through the multitude of blogs and news stories I found that this idea also occurred to Jim Naughton of The Lead.
On the other hand, as any good magician knows, distract the audience's attention with one hand while the other hand does the mechanics of the magic trick. Here is Mark Harris' analysis. Let's not be distracted by the smoke being blown.
Peace,
Jeffri
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