Isaiah 61:10 - 62:3
Christmas 1 - Year B
There is a new name coming for you, for me, for us.
In relatively recent days we have been calling our calling to a the larger traditions and experience of faith, hope and love - progressive. Other terms have been used down through time of prophetic, social gospel, liberal, etc.
This current self-identification will change and change again. It is not so much that the insight and energy we have changes, but language is too small to capture this or any spirit.
Here on this traditional anniversary of Jesus' birth and in looking to the first gathering of a tradition of Sunday community gatherings, I wonder about names.
Joseph and Mary were individually charged with naming the manger babe, Jesus. A bit after Isaiah's words we hear about renaming a country as Delightful and Partnered. Movements also get named after people (Buddhist), transformations (Christian), techniques (Muslim), and more.
Our difficulty is in getting caught in the name and thinking we have captured the energy, the space and the pace, of what is being named.
I am pleased with the moment where we are identified as progressive. This is a good gift. I will be pleased when the next incarnation of this life-orientation is differently named. Regardless of name, may we rejoice at every new birth into a larger vision.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/december2002.html
I believe I am praised out for the moment. Suffice it to say, "Hooray for G*D!"
Oh, by the way, a big Hooray! for those who go on to include more folks in the Hooray!ing by dealing with the healing issues of salvation.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2006/january2006.html
Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Psalm 148
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:22-40
"For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations." [Isaiah 61:11] An echo of this can be found with Malvina Reynolds' God bless the grass (sung) [MISSING URL] and lyrics).
Another echo is in Luke's recording of Simeon's experience, "It has been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's grass growing in the present garden (otherwise translated as the Lord's Messiah).
Messiah often gets narrowed down to one example. A particular one is claimed as true because of the results, as many are named along the way and were found to disappoint. Sometimes, though it is helpful to think of a messianic imperative, that will simply bring to fruition all the potential that has lain fallow.
Taking both these later echoes into account, we might read the vindication/righteousness/justice of Jerusalem to be her finally living up to her name without being distracted by who is occupying her now or promises of sitting at the head of the table of nations.
In the fullness of time we rather see all peoples and all rulers, men and women, old and young - together!
When the fullness of time came G*D seeded the world with grass - a babe and a woman to break through the cement of law to adopt all into a new togetherness.
- - -
god bless
grass
worms
cow fodder
fish food
dropping nutrients
for more
worms
grass
blessing that echoes
through generations
through spacious time
through one life
through all life
through to new blessing
god bless
grass messiahs
wriggly messiahs
dopey messiahs
silent messiahs
lamed-waw messiahs
sacred-cow messiahs
denied messiahs
god bless
one messiah
all messiahs
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html
Whether intentionally, as a celebrant cares for their appearance, or unintentionally, as nature fecunds away, we are to be engaged in actions that will later be recognized as "righteous" – just.
To join intentionality and unintentionality together not only takes energy, but supplies it as well. There is a wearing down if we are only intentional and a dissipation when oriented on the waiting for some right thing at a right time to occur. Here is a gift – to proceed with intention and yet to be open to making the most of the unintentional that happens along.
So a receiving and carrying of new life and a laying it down in a manger which is no crib are paired and release an energy to be reckoned with.
Can you remember times in your own life when these have come together? Did you recognize it in time to rejoice? Are you still living off that energy? Did you learn to practice recognizing their confluence and even to provoke them?
There will still be additional energies and practices needed, but we rejoice at each of these birthing moments where the steel of intentionality and the flint of unintentionality strike Christmas fire.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html
For what will you refuse to remain silent? For what will you not rest?
As we move toward a low attendance Sunday we are reminded of a key institutional issue, heirarchy - which is to say, let the preacher do our faith for us. After all, we pay for the privilege of avoiding zeal. Oh, we can get exercised about the way someone else’s idea won the day on the color of the kitchen or the time of holiday services, but on the big justice issues, the national issues, the world issues - we play the “I don’t know” card or the false balance of there being at least one point on both sides.
Yes, rejoice for the blessings that have come your way. But an even bigger Yes needs to go to the use of such blessings to increase blessings for all, commonwealth for all. To settle for personal rejoicing in the face of such great need is an abomination and we don’t hear much about abomination in a Christmas season.
If you have a sense of salvation for yourself and keep it there, it will slide away quickly enough.
Will you speak out for Mary and women this week? For children after their birth?
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/12/isaiah-6110-623.html