Genesis 50:15-21
Proper 19 (24) – Year A
Two excerpts from Walter Brueggemann’s Genesis:
[Joseph’s] encounter with the brothers is concluded with “comfort” (v. 21). The issue of guilt has been completely overcome. The agenda has moved beyond any concern for retribution to the larger issue of vocation. Twice now [Joseph] has said to them, “fear not” (vv. 19,21). Their alienation, fear, and grief are overcome. As is evident in Isaiah 40:1–2, “comfort” is an exile-ending word....
This way of presenting Israel’s faith is at the same time deeply believing and radically secular. It does not doubt the plan of God in the least. But at the same time, it accepts responsibility for the plan. Joseph does not “leave it all in God’s hands.” But he also does not believe that “God has no hands but ours.” He accepts his vocation.
So where is your vocation? Where do you accept responsibility for being a participant with G*D in a process of working forward from a gift of creation?
When we get to the point of claiming our vocation, issues of guilt and shame can finally be laid down. Clarity of vocation frees us from fears of retribution over any detail—comfort and hospitality become real (both our being welcomed and our welcoming).
Progressive Christians find themselves wrestling with a bothness of being “deeply believing and radically secular.” We are not willing to have one be subservient to the other or to separate them as though there were a choice to be made between them. This is a quality that can help move a church into its next stage of life, so rejoice in living this bothness.
May this bothness enhance our following of Isaiah’s dictum to “speak ye comfortably” to one another, as well as to Jerusalem, and reveal another sign of having accepted our vocation as exile-enders.
As found in Wrestling Year A: Connecting Sunday Readings with Lived Experience
“[Joseph's] encounter with the brothers is concluded with “comfort” (v. 21). The issue of guilt has been completely overcome. The agenda has moved beyond any concern for retribution to the larger issue of vocation. Twice now [Joseph] has said to them, “fear not” (vv. 19,21). Their alienation, fear, and grief are overcome. As is evident in Isaiah 40:1-2, “comfort” is an exile ending word....” [Walter Bruggemann, Genesis]
I am struck with Bruggemann’s earlier description of vocation. “This way of presenting Israel’s faith is at the same time deeply believing and radically secular. It does not doubt the plan of God in the least. But at the same time, it accepts responsibility for the plan. Joseph does not “leave it all in God’s hands.” But he also does not believe that “God has no hands but ours.” He accepts his vocation.”
So where is your vocation? Where do you accept responsibility for being a participant with GOD in the process of working forward from the gift of creation? When we get to the point of claiming our vocation the issues of guilt and shame can finally be laid down, we are freed from fears of retribution - comfort and hospitality become real (both our being welcomed and our welcoming).
Progressive Christians find themselves wrestling with the bothness of being “deeply believing and radically secular.” We are not willing to have one be subservient to the other or to separate them as a though there were a choice to be made between them. This is a quality that can help move the church into its next stage of life, so rejoice in living this bothness.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/september2002.html
“Even though you intended it for harm, G*D intended it for good,” so says Joseph.
How does that work for the the next generations?
How does that work for the first born - first dead?
How does that work for Pharaoh’s charioteers?
How does that work for citizens of New Orleans?
It seems that we need to own up to harm being harm before we can claim whatever good happens along. The current American administration seems incapable of owning up to its harm and so whatever good might be available is covered up by coverups.
How does the harm/good combination work for you? Wise ones can find blessings under any number of rocks but that doesn't mean the rock isn’t there or that the rock was required for the blessing.
This is sort of like the expected result of the President led review of its own administration of a disaster – “The results were harmful, but the effort and intentions were good.”
This whole approach is very close to trying to comfort a bereft parent by saying G*D wanted another little angel in heaven.
This pronouncement of an attempt to always keep G*D in a good light is perhaps alright as a personal statement about a person’s experience of the past in light of a now better present, but it is fraught with theological danger when moved into the communal arena. Here we are on a bit more solid ground when prophets announce that present behaviors are harmful and there will be a consequence for them that will do away with them to later allow good to flourish.
It is not too late to announce: the administration claims they intended it for good, but G*D has revealed it as harmful evil.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/september2005.html
Welcome those who are differently oriented in faith. Paul uses Sabbath and Eating Rituals as examples of how those who condense the week into one Sabbath and those who spread it through the week might both do so as an honor to G*D. Likewise with those who honor G*D through their choice of food.
Unfortunately these differences are described as “weaknesses” (as seen through the eyes of someone making a choice they think everyone ought to hew to now). Seemingly both could be seen as sources of honor and weakness. An example of bothness gone awry is found in Jesus’ story when asked about a persistence of forgiveness. Here the honoring of G*D gives way to entitlement for self.
When a servant is still received (forgiven) in respect to their weakness, this same servant does not participate in such a welcoming when faced with another in a respectively “weak” position.
How radical is my welcoming? - who is included in it?
- - - - - - -
transgressions removed ahead
a welcome road signhope for myself rises
to return to
an original blessing of gooddisgust that it might be
for every Jane and Jack
or my favorite enemy
rises even quickerand quick as a wink
my special welcome sign
becomes a road closed detour
onto winding rutted paths
leading 70x7 times back to this marker