Psalm 15
Epiphany 4 - Year A
Proper 17 (22) - Year B
Proper 11 (16) - Year C
Who lives without blame? This becomes particularly poignant if we ask to whom and to what we are paying attention during our everyday life when little things count as much as big things.
To be honorable, through and through, means living from and to the heart—from our heart to the heart of another (whether that be G*D or Neighb*r). So how are we doing?
Blessed are those who ...
To be honorable, through and through, means living from and to the heart—from our heart to the heart of another (whether that be G*D or Neighb*r). So how are we doing?
walk blamelessly (who are poor in spirit)
speak truth from their heart (who mourn)
do no evil to friends (who are meek)
do not reproach neighbors (who hunger and thirst for righteousness)
stand by their oath (who are merciful)
do not lend money at interest (who are pure in heart)
do not take a bribe against the innocent (who are peacemakers)
shall not be moved (who are persecuted)
In so doing we honor the hope of our creation—caretakers and co-creators.
As found in Wrestling Year A: Connecting Sunday Readings with Lived Experience
Is this a song of limits or expansion?
Who may abide? Who may dwell?
What is the measurement of walking blameless, acting right, telling the truth?
Any who do so - abide and dwell.
Again, what is the measuring rod? Am I your measuring rod or you, my? Is it the past that rules the present and future? Is there an unchangeable Procrustean bed against which we stretch or lop off passers-by?
Who abides and dwells - those who despise those who are not now dwelling, even if they may someday? Those who adamantly stand by their unchanging view of life? Those who live up to some external standard that excuses any profiteering of the poor as long as they don't take part in one particular activity?
Blessings upon you and all who move toward the wholeness exemplified by walking blameless, acting right, and telling the truth - who honor all as being potential walking mates, who keep the meaning of both larger and smaller words, and who actively support the innocent.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2003/august2003.html
Keeping with the "honor" motif, we can ask who and what we are paying attention to during our everyday life when the little things count as much as the big things.
To be honorable, through and through, means living from and to the heart -from our heart to the heart of another (whether that be G*D or Neighbor). So how are we doing?
Blessed are those who . . .
walk blamelessly (who are poor in spirit)
speak truth from their heart (who mourn)
do no evil to friends (who are meek)
do not reproach neighbors (who hunger and thirst for righteousness)
stand by their oath (who are merciful)
do not lend money at interest (who are pure in heart)
do not take a bribe against the innocent (who are peacemakers)
shall not be moved (who are persecuted)
In so doing we honor the hope of our creation - caretakers and co-creators.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/january2005.html
Psalm 15 or Psalm 52
Within the tradition of a common lectionary there are still choices to be made. A movie still playing in a theater near you, Spiderman 2, the issue of choice is a key element – choices made and choices given.
Deceit and Integrity are holographic choices. Each is repeated in each part (replicated inward). Each brings pressure upon the next decision to carry it on (rippling outward).
And yet these habituated patterns are no guarantee of consistency. They help, but do not assure. Conversion and domino slippage do occur.
So, today, it is again a day of choosing what will further shape our common life. Here, yesterday, nominations were made to general decision-making bodies. Today the first formal introduction of and ballot for the United Methodist episcopacy will take place. By our choices will we be known.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/july2004.html
Psalm15 or Psalm 52
Psalm 52 sets two dramatically different approaches to life -- devouring and trusting -- against one another. Implication, it is better to trust -- it is to one's long-range benefit.
Leaving that duality behind for the moment, I am intrigued with the image of "a green olive tree in the house of God." The flourishing of ourselves (our tree-ness) is like the flourishing of steadfast love or mercy. This is what is called for, regardless of whether or not we ever gloat over those who limit such G*D-ly qualities.
It helps to remember Jeremiah 11:16 -- "The Lord once called you, 'A green olive tree, fair with goodly fruit'; but with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed." If flourishing is to continue it needs to continue to deepen and strengthen its roots or it, too, will fall.
The image of a green olive tree is not a cause for pride, but an investment in deeper roots to have greener leaves and more bountiful fruit. When satisfaction sets in, roots wither, ever so slightly at first, and fruits are reduced. It's not easy being green.
- - -
laughter at doing well
enhances such doing
even when all about
are mourning
by our laughter
we scorn not others
but enlarge our life and see
more reason for laughter
our laughter brims over
surely goodness and mercy
are with us now
and anon
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
Psalm 15
Micah 6:1-8
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Matthew 5:1-12
Blessedness and rejoicing are both exciting, over-the-top, expressions and bedrock foundations from which comes steadfast love in shown in many ways. They need particulars to bring goodness into better clarity. They need particulars to respond to questions that will set case law.
Let's track some parallel terms from Micah, Psalms, Paul.
do justice - speak truth from the heart - do not take a bribe - desire wisdom
love kindness - do what is right - do not lend money - demand signs
walk humbly - walk blameless - stand by your oath - decide through foolishness
All manner of arrows can be drawn between these terms. Some will double-back on themselves, particularly when the beatitudes are tossed into the mix. Each of the blessings can be related to good effect to each of these terms.
In fact we have a season of possibilities here. Write them on a magnetic sheet and cut them apart. Each day rearrange them on your refrigerator until you have identified the best pattern for your life in this season. (In another season you may go through the same process and find yourself with a different best pattern.)
- - -
O my poor spirit
you have mourned much
destroyers of creation
the unhumble dominionists
who settle for righteousness
presently defined
devoid of future, of hope
the strict constructionist
merciless
setting up blowback
and child soldiers
through persecution
an evil of falseness
unable to see itself
pause
breathe
prepare to contend with yourself
for yourself
plead your case
no more sacrifices
internal or external
they will not fix
brokenness
they will not heal
hurt
they will not cover
debt
rejoice persecuted soul
peace is at hand
in heart and gut
created to comfort
to strengthen
your presence
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html
Psalm 15 or Psalm 45: 1-2, 6-9
Song of Songs 2:8-13 or Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
When we speak, ideas are to flower. Our tongue is the overflow of a goodly heart, spreading blessings wherever it is.
Our participation in a word of truth will reveal the image of all creation in our living as the first fruit of such a word that ends in the affirmation, "It is good!"
Meekness will be both the prepared soil and the resulting harvest of this creative word, implanted soul-word. So we are called to be not a hearer that forgets, but a speaker that acts their word. As such we move into an unbounded religion that takes seriously and joyously a word to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and keep steadfastly on with this task, no matter what.
- - -
so many fine words
have come my way
no changes of life
but plenty of compliments
to keep on with this pattern
is to keep change from happening
obviously I have gone awry
focused on words and not hearts
and so my hypocrisy shines
as I glory in fine words
while mourning a lack of effect
is but vanity vanity
let us hear again
insides are to be joined with outsides
until fine words diminish
and heart deeds flourish
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
So what are the quizes from Jesus and Micah about. They are practical ways of training our hearts to be ready for healthy responses in very difficult situations.
When we begin to be ready for the next quiz and face a very human choice, that quiz can surface quickly because it is already anticipated. Engaged with questions of meaning will allow us to avoid an opportunity for slander because we are looking to be kind. Likewise, engaged with the deeper cycles of life will have us sidestep getting every tax break we can, every opportunity to get more at another's expense, every occasion to take advantage. In light of desiring mercy, we will offer it.
Those who are willing to be quizzed again and again, end up solid in their learning, their growing toward G*D (theosis).
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/01/psalm-15.html
We continue to promote your use of Jim Taylor’s paraphrases of the Psalms. Here is his version of Psalm 15:
1 Your doors are always open, God;
You have no locks or fences.
2 Anyone can walk in --
Anyone who does no harm to others,
who holds no grudges,
who rejects pretense and sham.
3 Your guests have no double standards;
They will not double-cross a friend for their own gain,
nor sow dissension among their colleagues.
4 Yet they do not simply tolerate whatever comes;
They steer clear of evil causes.
They keep their word -- even at personal sacrifice.
5 They do not see money only as a means of making more;
They will not seek profit from the plight of the poor and helpless.
They are not fickle or changeable.
They will not do anything to cut themselves off from your company.
For paraphrases of most of the psalms used by the RCL, you can order Jim’s book Everyday Psalms from Wood Lake Publications, info@woodlake.com.
The question of who is “in” is a never-ending list. It is far more direct to ask, “Who won’t be welcome?” To this question there is an easy one-word response: Nobody.
A basic presumption here is that being made in the image of G*D means that everyone will eventually wrestle their way through the various dualistic choices set before them to choose that which is not split from itself — steadfast love with the rest of creation. To separate from others will be no more thinkable than chopping off your hand for a misdeed going back to one misapprehension or another. Body, mind, spirit, and relationships are all in this together and placing the blame on a hand for an intention’s error is both inappropriate and ineffective.
So see the blessing in others and accept the opportunities set before you.