Titus 2:11-14

Christmas - Proper 1 - Years A, B, C

Living lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly has no reward to be waited for. They are, in themselves, rewards already. If you are hoping for something, the way toward it is to begin living it in the present. We are to be a peace we desire.

Alternatively, if you wait long enough and get your timing down right, a traditional God will finally come around to sending the cavalry to the rescue. In this way salvation finally has nothing to do with our living well, only G*D’s living well.

With these two options comes a joy of discernment, knowing when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em.

This is part of what is behind differing traditions of salvation where folks stop wrestling with the whole business of incarnation. If it were merely a matter of correct doctrine superimposed on lives, we would coalesce around one understanding or another. When dealing with real life, we need to be able to go in a variety of directions with equal ease and even to go in every direction at once, thus confusing the heck out of ourselves and others who look for some seamless garment to throw over every issue of living.

Indeed, this freedom is the image of G*D, the reflection of G*D, and whatever glory G*D wields.

 

As found in Wrestling Year A: Connecting Sunday Readings with Lived Experience

 

 

How are you living the night before Christmas. Not knowing what is coming tomorrow, how would you be living? In the midst of waiting for blessed hope to be clarified, how are you doing with self-control?

It is so exciting to have a night before Christmas. Expectations run so high. This is being posted several days before Christmas Eve. Might we begin living in expectation that the night before the night before the night before might be the night before we have been waiting for. Tomorrow, probably an ordinary day, may be a turning spot. Who knows! And why are we skipping this moment of hope in favor of a remembrance of a previous blessing.

May we not be so blinded by Christmas Eve that we miss a new Christmas before that.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/december2004.html

 

 

Living lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly has no reward to be waited for. They are, in themselves,  the reward already. If you are hoping for something, the way toward it is to begin living it in the present. We are to be the peace we desire.

On the other hand, if you wait long enough and get your timing down right, God will finally come around to sending the cavalry to the rescue. Salvation has nothing to do with our living well, only G*D's living well.

With these two comes the joy of discernment, knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.

A part of what is behind the differing traditions of salvation is the whole business of incarnation. If it were merely a matter of correct doctrine we would run in one direction or the other. When dealing with real live life, we need to be able to go in either direction with equal ease and even to go in both directions at once, thus confusing the heck out of ourselves and others who look for some seamless garment to throw over every issue of living.

Indeed, this freedom is the image of G*D, the reflection of G*D, and whatever glory G*D wields.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/december2005.html

 

 

G*D spoke in the prophets. G*D spoke in Jesus (and Joseph and Mary and shepherds and manger beasts and magi). G*D speaks still in you, in me. G*D still speaks in the lives of others.

The prophets reflected G*D's glory (remember Moses' veiled face?). Jesus reflected G*D's glory. You and I, images of G*D, reflect G*D's glory. G*D's glory is reflected in the lives of others.

This glory of G*D is shown in goodness and loving kindness that does not dwell on acts past, but enhances deeds right now. It has been poured out upon us by Jesus, adding to the pouring out upon us of image at creation, and asks us to pour it out on others.

Thus salvation is brought to all. Thus we are active in our waiting. Blessed Creation, Merry Christmas, Joyful Today.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/december2005.html

 

 

Titus 2:11-14
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Peace is established with justice (beyond law) and righteousness (beyond hospitality). Zeal beyond our usual limits of engagement leads to good deeds beyond economic gain (no, not just that of monetary gain, but any transaction beyond an expected benefit).

When we have seen the truly unforgivable forgiven we burst forth with more and more forgiveness for smaller and smaller infractions, for our own infractions as well as those of others, until premeditated mercy becomes our standard.

When we have seen humble swaddling clothes enrobing small holiness, we are glorified and begin to see wholeness in larger universals as well as particulars. Our living praise echoes, "All will be well, all manner of things will be well - and we will begin that wellness where we are."

Peace with justice and righteousness is worth treasuring.

- - -

what inner child
yet burns bloody clothes
what standing tree
yet sings for joy
what shining star
yet calms fears

what newborn
is not born in blood
what awen
is not threatened by clear cutting
what polaris
is not left behind as our axis torques

let a decree go out -
peace is birthed
in justice for all
and righteousness bright

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html

 

 

The first two verses seem appropos of Christmas while the last two come out of some post-birth story speculative theology.

Let’s focus on verse 12. How is the church training us to renounce foolish theologizing, the real impiety, and indulgent living? These are parallel terms - the impiety of self-indulgence. But back to the question, do you sense that there is any training, education, progress being made in clarifying deep values revealing G*D as our goal?

To move in this direction there needs to be a structure to our movement ahead, our training toward an end. How do we help one another bring together living upright lives and being filled with G*D until there is no way of telling which came first? How do we practice honoring G*D and N**ghb*r and S*lf? These are day-in/day-out issues that take personal discipline and communal support as well as correction.

Without training we fall prey to the strangest of proclamations. Here is a secular example of lying about reality and shading issues for short-term gain [Palestine's imagined identity]. Without training we imagine identities that aren’t there. This is anti-Christmas behavior, untrained behavior.

Christmas, the grace of G*D appeared, brings a picture of wholeness to all without artificially defining some people out. We are beckoned to draw nigh for hope refreshment and encouraged to now take this moment and grow it in ever wider circles within ourself and within the world. This is more than singing Silent Night in candlelight. It means we will commit ourselves to live-long training in living tomorrow today.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/12/titus-211-14.html

 

 

Christmas Eve: Titus 2:11-14
Christmas Day: Hebrews 1:1-12

Where did the gift of surprise and choice go so quickly. The gospel lessons are poetry and story. By the time we get to the epistles we are confronted with the didactic and doctrinaire. Christmas moves from a particular to the general only with a great deal of danger to its own integrity.

We hear about incarnation being a source of atonement, “God has appeared, bringing salvation to all”. This act of G*D soon gets shifted to the crucifixion, “[Jesus] gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity”.

What begins with the fulfillment of a promise to our ancestors, becomes, all too quickly, angels not announcing G*D’s work but “worshipping” some idolatry of an eternity beyond flesh and blood birth and life.

Be careful what gets ingested along with all the sweet carols of Christmas. Is it just a set up for a later atonement or sufficient for such in its particularity?

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-eveday-year-c-christmas-eve.html

 

 

There is the usual religious jargon here. We have heard all this in the context of a preconceived plan for redemption through sacrifice.

Here is one simplification:

Look to the tradition of Jesus for models to practice. Look beyond the tradition of Jesus for models to practice. One source for this expansion is this note from The New Community Bible:

Such an openness leads to the enrichment and not to the impoverishment of the biblical message and of our faith. “The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She looks with sincere respect upon these ways of conduct and of life, those rules and teachings, which though differing in many particulars from what she holds and sets forth, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men....prudently and lovingly, through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, and in witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve and promote the spiritual and moral goods found in these men, as well as the values in their society and culture” (Vat.II, Nostra Aetate, 2).