July 27-- God For Us

Passages: Genesis 29:15-28, Psalm 105:1-11, 45b, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 42-52

Hello, those of you eagerly awaiting another segment of the Massachusetts Bible Society lectionary blog! As a newcomer to this blog, but not to MBS, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself before getting to the actual text for this week’s lectionary. I’m Kelsey Rice Bogdan, third year student at Harvard Divinity School and 2006-2007 MBS seminarian. I had the pleasure of working with MBS the year before Joe came on board, in the Society’s pre-blogging days. I was an avid blogger before the student life ate up all my time, though, so I’m excited to be back in the blogosphere. I also look forward to setting aside some time each week with you all to pause and reflect on a little snapshot of Scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary. I hope it will be a time for all of us to consider, be challenged, and grow together.

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ... Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” --Romans 8:31, 35-39

Have you ever wondered why John Calvin, the great Protestant Reformer of the 16^th century, ever made such a big deal about the idea that God chose some people for salvation and others for destruction? After all, it isn’t such a warm, fuzzy doctrine, and a good chunk of Christians (even Presbyterians like me, who claim their religious heritage from Calvin’s teachings) don’t really buy into it today. But Calvin was very emphatic on the point, and today’s lectionary passage is a perfect example of why.

In Romans 8:26-39, being God’s “predestined” (v. 29) suggests that God is with you, God will take care of you, nothing can come between you and God. In Calvin’s day, it was a comforting thought to reflect that, though the French authorities might threaten to kill you for your faith, God would vindicate you in the end because you were a beloved, chosen child. In Paul’s own first century context, it must have been likewise reassuring to think that despite all the vulnerabilities that come from being poor (as the majority of those living under the Roman Empire were at the time) and a follower of a strange new Jewish sect, God was on your side. It is no coincidence that, whether they agree with Calvin’s take on who or what is “predestined” in this passage, Christians through time and space have clung to it to claim God’s stake in their cause.

And therein lies the danger, the key element that can make Paul’s words both a clarion call for justice and the all-too-easy weapon of the oppressor: God is for us. Too many times we gloss over this phrase in verse 31 and just assume that if God is “for us,” that means someone—the devil, that particularly nasty co-worker, corporate America, Iran—is against us. We then go on to scan the rest of the passage with a smile on our face, knowing that we can be assured that God will make us “more than conquerors” over all those people we’ve brought into our reading of the text.

When I look again at Romans 8:31 and 35-39, though, an important character is missing from our little scenario: all the people who are against us, all the people we are supposedly going to conquer. The Holy One who created all of us, who embraces all of us as a mother embraces the sometimes squirmy child, is ultimately for all of us. Jesus, who reached out to Mary Magdalene and Nicodemus, Matthew the tax collector and Martha the busy housewife, doesn’t have to pick and choose who to love. When we think of God as a God of abundance, rather than through our own frame of scarce, coveted resources, who indeed is excluded from God’s overflowing love to stand against us?

Perhaps this is why, through Christ, we can be more than conquerors. Through Christ, the text suggests, we can transcend the lens of limit and lack through which we see others. We can go beyond winners and losers, beyond the notion that my gain is your loss. That’s not to deny the brokenness that exists in the world—in verses 35 and 36, Paul acknowledges the realities of persecution, hunger, and war, some of which humans and human systems cause. But none of those things can alter the fact that the God who appeared among us did so because that God is for each and every one of us.

In the gospel Paul presents here, no one—no individual, group, or society—can lay claim to God’s special favor over another. For just as Jesus embraces all of creation in this troubled world, we are called to embrace all those who we might view as standing against us. What would it mean to look at the enemy, even one that perpetuates injustices we rightfully oppose, as someone whom God is ultimately for? Maybe that means revising our belief that an enemy is someone to be vanquished, conquered, bent to our will. Maybe that means seeing our opponents as God sees them—broken, flawed creatures like us, desperately in need of transformative love.

May 11 -- Day of Pentecost

Passages: Acts 2:1-21, Psalm 104:24-35, 1 Corinthians 12:3-13, John 20:19-23

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. ⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶ And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷ Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? … ¹² All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" ¹³ But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." Acts 2:4-13 (NRSV)

² For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. ³ On the other hand, those who prophesy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. ⁴ Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church. ⁵ Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. … ⁹ So with yourselves; if in a tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air … ¹¹ If then I do not know the meaning of a sound, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 1 Corinthians 14:2-11

In Acts and 1 Corinthians we are presented with two different conceptions of what it means to “speak in tongues.” Acts recounts the event of the Pentecost, when the disciples are granted the gift of tongues to empower them in their ministry of the early church and live out the Great Commission (to make disciples of all nations). In Acts, the words the disciples speak are intelligible to many people in the crowd, whereas in Corinthians, Paul is describing a practice in the early church that closely resembles the “speaking in tongues” of many modern Pentecostal and Charismatic churches (“Charismatic” is a term for non-Pentecostal Christians who speak in tongues several times a year or identify as “Pentecostal” while belonging to a non-Pentecostal denomination, like Catholicism). Paul is accepting and encouraging of the practice, but expresses reservations about it. He attempts to downplay its importance in churches and as a sign of belief. These two practices, although sharing a common name (glossolalia), have crucial differences.

Two common interpretations of Acts 2 are: 1) the Disciples were given the ability to speak in previously unknown languages intelligibly, and 2) the Disciples were given the ability to speak in mysterious tongue and many of those present were granted to the power of interpretation and each heard this tongue in their own language simultaneously. The second interpretation seems the soundest to me based on a close reading of the text – in Acts 2.8 the crowd asks “How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?” Also, in 2.13 it is mentioned that there are people present who do not understand and mock the Disciples, saying they had too much new wine. So, to bust out a Star Trek reference here, the Holy Spirit acts as a sort of “universal translator.” In the Star Trek world, everyone is capable of speaking in their own native language and be understood in the other person’s. This bridges the vast cultural differences between the different species, and makes the mission of exploration possible. Likewise, the Pentecost bridges the cultural barriers and makes it possible for the mission of the Apostles to be accomplished. It invites all nations to hear the message and be a part of the divine discussion.

This is a sharp contrast to what Paul says in First Corinthians 14.2: “For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit.” Paul, although not rejecting glossolalia, complains about how the practice is unintelligible to others in the church and therefore inferior to prophesy or other spiritual gifts that are communicable. Where the Pentecost brought understanding between foreigners, the unintelligible glossolalia of the early church created separations (according to Paul): “If then I do not know the meaning of a sound, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me” (14.11).

Growing up in a congregational church, where the majority of worship is spent sitting still and listening to sermons or prayers, speaking in tongues is a foreign concept to me. However, Pentecostal and Charismatic worship is spreading rapidly all around the world (especially in Latin America, where even some Catholic services have a Charismatic worship style). It is a powerful religious experience for many people, one I wish to respect. Yet, it’s interesting that the debate Paul addressed almost two thousand years ago – about the value of speaking in tongues – continues today. Often, Pentecostals and Charismatics (often jointly referred to as “Renewalists”) point to Acts, and Hebrew Scripture passages like Joel (as Peter does in today’s lection) for the Biblical basis of their practice, while some non-Renewalists, point to passages from Paul to discredit it or relegate it to a private practice outside of worship, as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 14.18-19: “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you; nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

However, those who use Paul to refute glossolalia are not being fair to the argument Paul presents in 1 Corinthians, and are rather picking out a few harsh sentences. Paul does indeed argue that it doesn’t have much of a place in worship if there isn’t a translator, but he doesn’t deny the experience either or call it gibberish. He ultimately concludes with, “So, my friends, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues; but all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:39-40). On the day of Pentecost, I think it’s important for us to acknowledge that the New Testament itself has different conceptions of “speaking in tongues,” and that it has been a subject of controversy for the entire history of the Christian church.

Third Sunday in Lent -- Perseverance

Passages: Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42


"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." -- Romans 5:2-5

The Apostle Paul, imprisoned near the end of his life.

There is a certain danger in rationalizing suffering. It is important to see how God works in our lives, including our deepest trials, but it should not affect our sense of compassion and duty to each other when in need. Often, when Christians are faced with suffering they will either see God's wrath and punishment, or -- like Paul -- see God's blessings and how even the worst times can build up our character and faith. But we must also see the injustice of suffering, and act in accordance to the teachings and commandments of Christ.

Not all suffering is an injustice -- but all injustice causes suffering. There are certain agonies (the Greek word "agwn" or agon means a contest or struggle) that are a necessary part of life, and even a blessing as Paul suggests. But those tend to be the sufferings of the universal human condition: heartbreak, failure, sickness, injury and betrayals. These are all difficult parts of life, but part of its richness and wholeness. But there are sufferings that cannot be seen as blessings -- torture, rape and murder. Children dying from hunger or unsafe drinking water. The wholesale exploitation of human beings for greed and power.

True, even in the worst of human conditions (perhaps especially in the worst of human conditions) you can find great character and hope. The kind of hope that can only emerge the deepest of despairs. The Early Christians faced severe persecution and often gruesome, torturous treatment. Paul was beaten and arrested many times in his life, and is best known for his sense of mission and his perseverance (even more than his gift of pen and persuasion). And no doubt, Paul is able to write this inspiring passage because he knows first hand how his persecution has given him greater hope and connected him with the Holy Spirit. Yet these words were written to Christians during a time of persecution and limited power -- there was yet to be significant danger for the Early Christians to grow callous about the sufferings of others, or perpetuate systematic injustice against others.

Today, we are in a much different historical and social context. We must remember that these words come from the depths of persecution and social powerlessness. It was written to communities who were suffering together, and sharing hope for a better world through Christ together. It was meant to encourage them, and help them see how God continues to bless them even in these difficult times.

Two thousand years later, Christians still suffer and hope together. Paul's words resonate with them now as it did for the first Christians. But unlike the first Christians, the Church has great power and resources. We cannot let our understanding of suffering as a blessing -- and something that is part of God's plan for our lives -- dilute our mission of healing and compassion. We cannot pass the Samaritan on the road and not see someone in great distress.