Midweek Musings for the Pentecost 6

Sunday, July 8, 2012
Lectionary 14
Proper 9
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

INTRODUCTION
Jesus does great deeds of power and gives his disciples authority over demons. Yet none of this power is unilateral; it all must be received by faith. Jesus asks his disciples to go out without money or supplies, so that they will be dependent on how others receive them. When we are sent from the assembly to witness and to heal, we are asked to be vulnerable, to be dependent on the reception of others. The Spirit always operates in the between: between Jesus and his Abba, between Jesus and us, between you and me, between us and those to whom we are sent.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

God of the covenant, in our baptism you call us to proclaim the coming of your kingdom.
Give us the courage you gave the apostles, that we may faithfully witness to your love and peace in every circumstance of life, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Ezekiel 2:1–5

In 597 B.C., the priest Ezekiel was removed into exile in Babylon. While there, he received a vision of God appearing majestically on a chariot throne. Today's reading recounts God's commissioning of Ezekiel during this vision. The prophet is to speak God's word to a people unwilling to hear.

He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. ²And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. ³He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. ⁴The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD." ⁵Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 123

Our eyes look to you, O God, until you show us your mercy. (Ps. 123:2)

¹To you I lift ^| up my eyes,

to you enthroned ^| in the heavens.

²As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,

and the eyes of a maid to the hand ^| of her mistress,

so our eyes look to you, O LORD our God,

until you show ^| us your mercy. R

³Have mercy upon us, O ^| LORD, have mercy,

for we have had more than enough ^| of contempt,

⁴too much of the scorn of the in- ^| dolent rich,

and of the derision ^| of the proud. R

Second Reading

2 Corinthians 12:2–10

Christians do not boast of their own accomplishments. Rather, Christian boasting focuses attention on how the power of Christ is present in our lives, especially in times of weakness and vulnerability. No matter what our circumstances in life, Christ’s grace is sufficient for us.

²I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. ³And I know that such a person — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows — ⁴was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. ⁵On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. ⁶But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, ⁷even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. ⁸Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, ⁹but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Gospel

Mark 6:1–13

At home and abroad, Jesus and his disciples encounter resistance as they seek to proclaim God's word and relieve affliction.

He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. ²On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. ⁴Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." ⁵And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. ⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Then he went about among the villages teaching. ⁷He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; ⁹but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." ¹²So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. ¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

REFLECTION

The Gospel finds Jesus returning to Nazareth. He is going home again. However, his return does not go the way one might expect. After all, Jesus is something of a celebrity by this time. He has been going around the countryside preaching, teaching, healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead and controlling the forces of nature. He has proven that there is something very special and different about him. Of course, the last time Jesus was in Nazareth things didn’t go too well for him. He went to the synagogue and preached. In that service, Jesus proclaimed himself to be the Jewish Messiah. The people of Nazareth rejected his message and tried to kill him by throwing him over a cliff. He left Nazareth and preached in other places in Galilee. Now, a year later, he returns to the very place he was so cruelly rejected. He wants to give his family, his friends and his neighbors another chance to receive him and his message. Even though Jesus is rejected, he perseveres trying to give them one more chance to hear his message.

I am always amazed that God would give us one more chance. But He does. He gives us opportunity after opportunity to believe in Him and His Gospel! Thank God for His good grace!

LET US PRAY FOR:

For the home-less

Those who are unwilling to “go home”

For those who have been given opportunity after opportunity and have not listened

For those who have been given opportunity after opportunity and have begun to listen

For those who are rejected

QUOTE

“Those who know you best tend to respect you the least.” George Webber, character in the novel, You Can’t Go Home Again, by Thomas Wolfe.

Musings for Pentecost 3

Sunday, June 17, 2012
Lectionary 11
Proper 6
Third Sunday after Pentecost

MIDWEEK MUSINGS

Reflection by Pastor Macholz

INTRODUCTION
The mustard seed becomes a great shrub that shelters the birds, recalling ancient images of the tree of life. We'd expect a cedar or a sequoia, but Jesus finds the power of God better imaged in a tiny, no-account seed. It's not the way we expect divine activity to look. Yet the tree of life is here, in the cross around which we gather, the tree into which we are grafted through baptism, the true vine that nourishes us with its fruit in the cup we share. It may not appear all that impressive, but while nobody's looking it grows with a power beyond our understanding.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

O God, you are the tree of life, offering shelter to all the world. Graft us into yourself and nurture our growth, that we may bear your truth and love to those in need, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Ezekiel 17:22–24

Tree imagery is used in a messianic prophecy to tell how the Lord will choose someone from Judah’s royal family (the cedar tree) to reign over all creation. This tree will be planted on Mount Zion, the location of the holy temple.

²²Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of a cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender one
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will plant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
²³On the mountain height of Israel
I will plant it,
in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
²⁴All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the LORD.
I bring low the high tree,
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the LORD have spoken;
I will accomplish it.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 92:1–4, 12–15

The righteous shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon. (Ps. 92:12)

¹It is a good thing to give thanks ^| to the LORD,

to sing praise to your name, ^| O Most High;

²to herald your love ^| in the morning

and your faithful- ^| ness at night;

³on the psaltery, and ^| on the lyre,

and to the melody ^| of the harp.

⁴For you have made me glad by your ^| acts, O LORD;

and I shout for joy because of the works ^| of your hands.

¹²The righteous shall flourish ^| like a palm tree,

and shall spread abroad like a ce- ^| dar of Lebanon.

¹³Those who are planted in the house ^| of the LORD

shall flourish in the courts ^| of our God;

¹⁴they shall still bear fruit ^| in old age;

they shall be ^| green and succulent;

¹⁵that they may show how up- ^| right the LORD is,

my rock, in whom there is ^| no injustice.

Second Reading

2 Corinthians 5:6–10[11–13] 14–17

Paul encourages believers to live by faith and not by sight. We do not consider Jesus from a human perspective but through the eyes of faith, believing he died for all and was raised. All who are in Christ are now in God’s new creation.

⁶So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord — ⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
¹¹Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. ¹²We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. ¹³For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. ¹⁵And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
¹⁶From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. ¹⁷So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Gospel

Mark 4:26–34

Jesus frequently uses parables to teach ordinary people as they are able to hear and understand. Images of sowing and growing show the vitality of God’s kingdom.

²⁶He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. ²⁸The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. ²⁹But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come." ³⁰He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; ³²yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." ³³With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; ³⁴he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

Reflection

One cannot read the majority of the lessons without hearing something in relation to growth. The first lesson talks of cedar trees, the Psalmist writes about a palm tree that will spread abroad like the cedars of Lebanon. The Gospel uses a bit smaller imagery more focused on farm crops and small bushes but all talk about growth, the kingdom of God and the power of God within that kingdom.

How’s it growing for you? Discipleship, that is. We have been scattered, planted, sown; whatever image works best for you, in this place and time. Through Word and Sacrament, personal prayer and Bible study and conversations with the Creator we are called to grow where we are planted. How’s it growing for you?

Some days are better than others for me. I sometimes lose sight of the goal, fail to be open to the nourishment offered or even forget that I am planted. In those moments the Spirit calls me back to center, encourages me to remember my baptism and to start growing again!

The truth of the matter is that we never stop growing into becoming God’s children, no matter how old we become. It’s a constant process as the One who called it all into being feeds and nourishes us in and through life, nurtures and prunes and encourages us to become the people we are meant to be. In this season of growth and the beginning of early harvests, it’s an apt image.

How are you growing these days?

Let Us Pray

• For the people of Syria in the midst of war, that we might find a way to end the bloodshed.
• That those seeking healing and hope may discover it in the unlikeliest of places
• To be open to the Spirit’s movement in our lives and community of faith
• That children may find shelter, safety and the love they seek
• For new growth in unexpected directions

Quote

May the Great Mystery make sunrise in your heart. Sioux Indian Prayer