pentecost-6-great-falls.md

Sun, Jul 21, 2019 St. Peter’s Great Falls

Sun, Jul 21, 2019 St. Peter’s Great Falls
Pentecost 6

The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Color: Green Assigned Readings (Proper 11 ) Track One Lesson 1: Amos 8:1-12 Psalm: 52 Track Two Lesson 1: Genesis 18:1-10a Psalm: 15 Lesson 2: Colossians 1:15-28 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42

Introduction

My first instinct is to just say, “Hi. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you all.” October by my reckoning. I’ve heard some about you from others. You had a gathering here last month, I think, that I would have like to have attended. We were out of town and unable.

Seriously, It’s good to see you. For both of us.

Prophets in the church

I want to pay attention today to Amos. We heard from him last week and we will again later in the church year. Amos the prophet. Partly what I want to do is to try to take the prophet’s message seriously. Kind of an introduction to interpreting the prophets.

Secondly, it seems that Amos in particular is exceedingly relevant to our present circumstances.

For readers and listeners new to the prophets, the most common understanding of who they are is that they somehow tell the future. They are a sort of soothsayer. Even many skilled readers will understand them as a kind of advanced soothsayer because, by long Christian tradition, prophets are read as pre-figuring the Messiah.

That’s the way the church has mostly presented the prophets in our Sunday lectionaries. It’s mostly the way folks hear the prophets on Sunday. Bible studies are generally organized that way, so even advanced students of the Bible read the prophets that way.

In more recent times we have begun to listen to the prophets separately from the gospel reading. We might say we have begun to “hear them on their own terms.” The “Common Lectionary” that was authorized earlier this century encourages that style of reading.

The process invites us to begin to ask, “How do we find meaning in these texts?” What are the important things to look out for as we ask the question, "What is the importance or meaning of this text for us me? For us? For the contemporary world?

Hermeneutical triangle

Something called the hermeneutical triangle has been important to me and many others in discerning the meaning. The word hermeneutic generally means the more familiar term – “interpretation”. How do we go about interpreting the prophets?

A simplified way of thinking about the method is to recognize 3 things about a passage that are important for finding meaning. Each of them is important.

Author, 2) Text, and 3) Reader

Amos

Author

try to appreciate who he or she was as a historical figure

what their message to their contemporaries was

read somewhat differently by Jews and Christians. Jewish history runs in a continuous line (albeit a very crooked line) back to the time of the kings and the prophets and the patriarchs and matriarchs who went before.

Who was he?

A prophet from the early period of ancient nation of Israel

Again and again, G‑d sent His messengers, the prophets, to admonish the people and to warn them that unless they mended their ways, they and the land would be doomed. Yet the admonitions were, for the most part, unheeded. Chabad

Followed a long tradition of prophets who were critical of the leaders of their nation. In reading the prophets as a group from the Hebrew scriptures, it’s not a far stretch to say that the primary function of ancient prophets was to criticize and call to justice the leadership of the nation.

He was a shepherd. From Tekoa in the northern part of the country. From the opening of the book of Amos:

… Here is the vision he saw concerning Israel. It came to him two years before the earthquake. At that time Uzziah was king of Judah. Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, wams king of Israel. (Amos 1)

Message to his audience?

A prophet’s message to his audience was an extension of the criticism aimed at the leaders. “Be faithful to God above all. Where the leadership has abandoned or betrayed the faith of the God of our forefathers and foremothers, do not be surprised when catastrophe happens.” A Jewish note on Amos says:

Together with the good political situation came economic prosperity. Many people in the Northern Kingdom became very wealthy, and began to lead a luxurious life. Friendly relations with the Phoenicians, who were the greatest merchants and seafaring people of those days, brought things of rare beauty and luxury into the Jewish Kingdom. Unfortunately, the unusual prosperity brought a collapse of moral standards. Ignored were the great ideals and commandments of the Torah to help the poor, and to practice justice and loving kindness. The rich oppressed the poor; might was right; it was an age of corruption. Hand in hand with this degeneration of the morals of the people went increased idolatry. People built many altars on mountains to serve the Canaanite gods, Baal and Ashtarte. The Golden Calves, which the first Jeroboam set up in the north and south of the country to turn the people away from the Beth Hamikdosh in Jerusalem, were worshipped more than before and the teachings of the Torah and the holy commandments were viewed with contempt. Chabad

I can’t imagine anything that sounds more like 2019. Yet it is describing the circumstances of the book of Amos.

Why important to us?

What is the meaning of all this for us, today? Scripture itself is at the heart of who we are as Christians. It is appropriate and essential that we ask that question.

Unless this is in some sense the foundation of our lives, then we are no different from any other member of society

Meaning for us?

A contemporary evangelical voice (Chuck Swindoll) had this to say about the book of Amos:

Injustice permeates our world, yet as Christians we often turn a blind eye to the suffering of others for “more important” work like praying, preaching, and teaching. But the book of Amos reminds us that those works, while unquestionably central to a believer’s life, ring hollow when we don’t love and serve others in our own lives. Chuck Swindoll

Why listen today?

Prophets shake us from complacency. If they say anything to us it is: “To do nothing, to ignore what is happening, is no different than faithlessness.” Do something. Even though it be a small thing, do it. Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Judy Small wrote a song many years ago. My brother shared it with me.

I’ve lived a life of previlege
I’ve never known what hunger is
I’ve never laboured with my hands
except to play guitar
Middle class my middle name
life’s been morer less a game
but in the end its all the same
The buck stops where you are
and we are foolish people
who do nothing because we know
how little one person can do
…
you may be
one voice in the crowd
but without you we are weaker
and our song may not be heard
One drop in the ocean
but each drop swell the tide
so be you one brick in the wall
be one voice in the crowd

The Gospel

This Gospel passage from Luke has been interpreted for so many years – yea, centuries – as a call to prayer over action or service.

This follows on a line of interpretation that is at least as old as St. Bernard of 1,000 years ago, who interpreted the text as a contrast between the contemplative and the active life.

Many altar guild members have come to me after preaching on the text and been defensive about how they are faithful in prayers but what they really are gifted to do is the work that seems like what Martha is up to.

Jesus, of course, says that Mary has chosen the better part. But go back to our questions about interpretation. What does it mean? To Jesus? To his audience? To us today?

The prophets help us to hear what is Jesus’ point in the exchange. It is not a contrast between the contemplative and the active. It is a contrast between doing what you do with peace and calm about you versus doing what you do with worry and anxiety.

Today

The world around is full of the kinds of things that Amos saw.

There is economic success on the stock market front – but desperation for many of the people who live paycheck to paycheck and can’t afford to invest.
There is an abundance of food for some (I heard on the radio this week that our nation throws away 70% of the food we produce), but 1 in 7 people in the world today are hungry Food Aid Foundation
Military success on the national front leads to the building of empire, but every empire has fallen, generally with much pain and destruction.
We see all around us the decline and failure as experienced by many in rural America while those in power have no plan to share the success of the few.
Small churches fail in their attempt to be like the so called real churches– the successful large churches that continue to be the measure of what is a “healthy, successful church.” All the while we have lost a sense of what it means to be faithful in mission and ministry. Faithfulness can look like failure to the ways of the world. Jesus pointed to a single person’s act of faithfulness and called it the better part.

You know something about all of that here in Great Falls and at St. Peter’s.

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law (Proverbs 29:18, ESV)

It is not enough to send thoughts and prayers – even when they look like Mary’s did that day at Bethany. Be one voice in the crowd if you must.

“Anxiety is love’s greatest killer. It makes others feel as you might when a drowning man holds on to you. You want to save him, but you know he will strangle you with his panic.” ― Anais Nin

The better part is to love. Love the Lord your God. Love your neighbor as yourself. And to do so with singleness of purpose and with the peace of God which passes all understanding.

Notes

lectionary

Amos: all the ways to be unjust
Colossians: “you who were once far off …”
I Paul became a servant of the Gospel
Mary and Martha – the better part

Next Week

Saint Mary Magdalene 07/23/2019
- Saint Mary Magdalene Color: White Assigned Readings Lesson 1: Judith 9:1,11-14 Psalm: 42:1-7 Lesson 2: 2 Corinthians 5:14-18 Gospel: John 20:11-18

Thu, Jul 25, 2019

Saint James 07/26/2019
- Saint James the Apostle Color: Red Assigned Readings Lesson 1: Jeremiah 45:1-5 Psalm: 7:1-10 Lesson 2: Acts 11:27----
  Pentecost 6

Prophets in the church

mostly what folks hear on Sunday-
some do bible study
most familiar perhaps the way lectionary on Sunday was structured for many centuries:
OT reading intended to support or “anticipate” – an ancient term used was “pre-figure” – the gospel reading
In more recent times we have begun to listen to the prophets separate from the gospel reading.

Hermeneutical triangle

meaning generally “interpretation”

Amos

Intro

try to appreciate who he or she was as a historical figure

what their message to their contemporaries was

Who was he?

A prophet from the early period of ancient nation of Israel

Again and again, G‑d sent His messengers, the prophets, to admonish the people and to warn them that unless they mended their ways, they and the land would be doomed. Yet the admonitions were, for the most part, unheeded. Chabad

Followed a long tradition of prophets who were critical of the leaders of their nation.

A shepherd

… He was a shepherd from the town of Tekoa. Here is the vision he saw concerning Israel. It came to him two years before the earthquake. At that time Uzziah was king of Judah. Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, was king of Israel. (Amos 1)

Message to his audience?

Together with the good political situation came economic prosperity. Many people in the Northern Kingdom became very wealthy, and began to lead a luxurious life. Friendly relations with the Phoenicians, who were the greatest merchants and seafaring people of those days, brought things of rare beauty and luxury into the Jewish Kingdom. Unfortunately, the unusual prosperity brought a collapse of moral standards. Ignored were the great ideals and commandments of the Torah to help the poor, and to practice justice and loving kindness. The rich oppressed the poor; might was right; it was an age of corruption. Hand in hand with this degeneration of the morals of the people went increased idolatry. People built many altars on mountains to serve the Canaanite gods, the Baal and Ashtarte. The Golden Calves, which the first Jeroboam set up in the north and south of the country to turn the people away from the Beth Hamikdosh in Jerusalem, were worshipped more than before and the teachings of the Torah and the holy commandments were viewed with contempt.

Again and again, G‑d sent His messengers, the prophets, to admonish the people and to warn them that unless they mended their ways, they and the land would be doomed. Yet the admonitions were, for the most part, unheeded. The people went their own way. Chabad

Why important to us?

Because Scripture is at heart of who we are as Christians.

Unless this is in some sense the foundation of our lives then we are no different from any other member of society

Meaning for us?

Injustice permeates our world, yet as Christians we often turn a blind eye to the suffering of others for “more important” work like praying, preaching, and teaching. But the book of Amos reminds us that those works, while unquestionably central to a believer’s life, ring hollow when we don’t love and serve others in our own lives. Chuck Swindoll

Why listen today?

Prophets shake us from complacency

This Gospel passage from Luke has been interpreted for so many years – yea, centuries – as a call to prayer over action or service.

This follows on a line of interpretation that is at least as old as St. Bernard of 1,000 years ago, who interpreted the text as a contrast between the contemplative and the active life.

Many is an altar guild member who has come to me after preaching on the text and been defensive about how they are faithful in prayers but what they really are gifted to do is the work that seems like what Martha is up to.

Jesus, of course, says that Mary has chosen the better part.

The prophets help us to hear what is Jesus’ point in the exchange. It is not a contrast between contemplative and active, it is a contrast between doing what you do with peace and calm about you verses doing what you do with worry and anxiety.

Today

The world around is full of the kinds of things that Amos saw.

economic success on the stock market front
military success on the national front
decline and failure experienced by many in rural America
small churches fail in their attempt to be like churches.

You know something about that here in Great Falls

Notes

lectionary

Amos: all the ways to be unjust
Colossians: “you who were once far off …”
I Paul became a servant of the Gospel
Mary and Martha – the better part

Next Week

Saint Mary Magdalene 07/23/2019
- Saint Mary Magdalene Color: White Assigned Readings Lesson 1: Judith 9:1,11-14 Psalm: 42:1-7 Lesson 2: 2 Corinthians 5:14-18 Gospel: John 20:11-18

Thu, Jul 25, 2019

Saint James 07/26/2019
- Saint James the Apostle Color: Red Assigned Readings Lesson 1: Jeremiah 45:1-5 Psalm: 7:1-10 Lesson 2: Acts 11:27––12: Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28

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