Romans 8:12-17
"Trinity" - Year B
The choice of feeling tone is that of assurance/witness or fear. These manifest themselves in issues of adoption or slavery.
When we are assured of our relationship with G*D we are open to affirming our own adoption and willingness to aid others in being adopted. When we are fearful we become slaves to a zero-sum game of life, always on the look out for not losing.
The difference is focusing on offense or defense. In sports the emphasis is upon defense, for that is where championships are won (Devils beat Mighty Ducks with three shutouts) but we are in a never-ending series of seasons. In Jesus' way the emphasis is upon offense, simply putting forth the best one has without defending to the last one's self (Resurrections trumps Crucifixion) where it doesn't matter if there is another season or not for this one was so well lived.
Rejoice, you are adopted, spirit touches spirit and we breathe deeply and persistently.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2003/june2003.html
"Don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go.
"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a child-like 'What's next, Papa?'...."
[The Message]
Putting the NRSV alongside this raises some interesting word combinations.
flesh = do-it-yourself
fear = grave-tending
adoption = child-like expectation
live = new life
led by the spirit = resurrection
Now let's play. Our fleshly exhaustion is based on a sense of having to do-it-yoursef. May your fears growing from this exhaustion finally be seen as simple grave-tending. This is not easy or something we do on our own. When we begin to sense there is something beyond morbid fascination with what is wrong, it is as though we were part of a different family culture and we begin to explore the arena of child-like expectation that will help us grow. Beyond mechanical growth of seed germination in the presence of moisture and warmth, simply living/growing, growth takes on new life when fruiting begins. Eventually (so why not now) our fruits are offered and harvested (very Giving Tree-like) as we are led by the spirit beyond usual life to resurrection beyond exhaustion.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2003/june2003.html
Adopted by the trinity is a worthy state of being.
What are the trinitarian adoption rules? Do they limit who can be adopted? When? Do they constrain how adoption must go on?
What are our adoption rules? Do we limit who might be adopted and when in our life story they would be welcome? Do we set the boundaries of who is with us and who is against us and whether we draw circles to keep folks out or include them in?
How does this apply to your congregation or faith community? To your nation and local community?
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2006/june2006.html
If you live according to the flesh, you will die. If you live according to the spirit, you will die. Death is ever present for Jesus and for us. There is no getting around that reality, though we usually put off facing that eventuality. It's good for the faithful that Jesus didn't live into decrepitude and was resurrected from there?
If you live according the the flesh, you will live. If you live according to the spirit, you will live. To fleshily give a cup of cool water, visit someone imprisoned, etc. life in the present and future is enhanced. To love G*D with all one has and to do the same for neighbors bring enhanced life in the present and future.
It is all too easy to pit flesh against spirit and to lose the interconnection and distinctions. The same can be said about trying to pit homosexual against heterosexual, we lose our connection with G*D and one another and make false distinctions.
To suffer is to also be glorified. Hooray flesh! Hooray Spirit!
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2006/june2006.html
It is so obvious that six wings divided by twos equals trinity. So we force our concepts into places where they should fear to go.
For the moment, presume Isaiah and the Psalmist are Trinitarians. Note the outcome and who cares about the labeling - freed from guilt/sin blotted out, strengthened people/blessed with peace.
Note the Trinity in the Romans passage: ourselves - G*D - Christ. Now aren't you excited enough to go share a glory of release with those you come in contact with!
- - -
poor Nicodemus
he has lost his metaphorical thinking
and doesn't know where to find itof childhood he remembers not
only age and size count
that will change, but not yetflesh gives birth to flesh
spirit to spirit
and both rejoice in each otherwhere were you born
where will you be born
conceive a womb without wallslife is pregnant with us
should we have eyes to see
and G*D is midwifeso far we are up to 70x7 births
with more to come
for a metaphor never endsthroughout life we play each part
interacting with others
assisting one another's birth processat the last Nicodemus
finds a 7th next birth
as a bringer of myrrh and aloes[directly inspired by God: Beyond the Colouring Book by Peter Barns]
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html
"All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." (vs 14)
While "led" usually has a sense of direction about it, perhaps a goose leading goslings, there are also available overtones of time, as in creation preceding but still partnered with creatures. Following the partnership of creation model we might move a bit away from a tendency to an exclusivist view of this passage and say, "All who are in a creation-partnered/adopted relationship with the Spirit of G*D are G*D's kin." A question of whom this leaves out need to be addressed and we can easily respond – no one is left out.
In this cloning of G*D or holographing of G*D we find strength and courage to be constituent parts of creation. Antidotes to fear (non-creation) abound, the trick is to recognize and use them.
Suffering/Glorification become markers, though not always helpful ones, of how we are doing in relation to fear – standing up and overcoming. But they are after-the-fact descriptions that tend to get us back into an unhelpful spirit/flesh dichotomy rather than deepening our relationship with G*D and One Another.
I expect it is helpful to continue this passage on a bit to the freedom found in labor to birth a new creation. Blessings upon your simply having been created and your even simpler partnership in advancing creation.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html